Another's Name But My Heart
by Lady of the Ink
Summary: COMPLETE AU- Inu-Kag, MS, SR Pretending to be Kikyo, Kagome marries Inuyasha to prevent a war. They soon grow close, but will their love last through her lie and the real Kikyo's attempts to reclaim what is hers?
1. I'm Not the Girl

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
**By _Lady of the Ink  
_Rating: PG  
Pairing: I/Ka, a little M/S  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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Chapter One

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I'm Not the Girl

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"The outer walls are crumbling. They will soon gain entry."

"More soldiers join them each day . . ."

" . . .stronger than anyone expected."

" . . .no hope."

"It's clear that they will win. It's only a matter of time."

Kagome listened intently to the snatches of conversation that came to her ears as she pushed her way through the milling crowd. Each passing day brought more villagers flocking to the safety inside the castle gates, and more ill tidings about the battle being fought outside them. It had been under a fortnight since the first attack and already most people were sure of the enemy's coming victory.

As the first tinges of real worry crept up her spine, Kagome ducked her head and renewed her efforts at making her way home. She was jolted roughly from side to side and almost lost her balance once when a rather large man swatted her as he gestured wildly. By the time she reached an open space, she was feeling more than a little battered and bruised. Barely taking the time to breathe a sigh of relief, she hurried on to her family's small home.

Pushing open the door, she stepped inside, pausing on the threshold until her eyes could adjust to the dimmer light of the interior. "I'm home!" she called, smiling as she saw her mother look up from her sewing. Her grandpa snorted loudly from his chair by the fire before resuming his snoring. Souta, her younger brother, was nowhere to be seen.

Kagome sat the basket she carried down in the middle of table, and then set to removing her shawl. As she turned to hang it on its peg on the wall, her mother asked about her day, just as she did every evening.

"It was okay. Busy, though, since all the people who came in from the farms need to be fed now, too. Even though I went in early and stayed late, there were still more customers than there was bread to sell them." Raking her hair off her forehead with one hand, she rolled her head, hoping to ease the kink in her neck.

"You just sit and rest while I get supper ready," Mrs. Higurashi commanded gently, dropping her mending into the sewing basket that rested beside her as she rose from her chair. Crossing to the fireplace, she bent to stir the stew bubbling in a pot that hung there. As she turned to throw a look over her shoulder, she stared pointedly at her now empty seat.

Wearily obeying the unspoken command, Kagome dropped into the low seat. Her eyes felt heavy and her back ached from a long day pf bending to retrieve numerous bread pans from the massive ovens. Her hands were sporting a few burns gotten in her rush to remove the finished loaves and replace them with ones needing to be baked. Just the thought of a similar, if not worse, day waiting for her in the morning was enough to make her wish she could quit. But she couldn't, not when her family was in desperate need of the money she brought home, and especially not now, when the future was so uncertain.

Circumstances aside, she wouldn't have wanted to quit anyway. Her job was fairly easy and enjoyable, if a bit repetitive. But it paid well and helped keep everyone fed, which was what she considered the most important thing.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of someone bursting through the front door. Her brother caught the look she threw him and grinned unrepentantly. Taking off his coat, he tossed it in the general direction of the pegs. He didn't appear to notice as it fell to the floor in a heap of blue material.

Plopping down on one of the benches that flanked the table, Souta propped his elbows on the tabletop as he leaned forward. He fairly vibrated with excitement and when he began to speak, it was clear why.

"You'll never guess what I heard!" Not giving anyone the chance to answer, he rushed on. "They're saying the battle's almost over. The enemy army is closing in, and they'll take the whole castle soon. The blacksmith's apprentice says that it was sure to end this way from the start, since no human army could possibly hope to win against a demon one." His hands dropped onto the table with a slapping sound. "Just think, by this time next week, we'll have a new lord. And a demon one, at that. I wonder if it's true that they eat people?"

"That's enough!" Kagome jumped along with Souta at the sharp tone their mother used. Even their grandpa frowned in his sleep, one hand rising to swat at some imagined pest buzzing by his face.

Crossing to the table, stewpot in hand, Mrs. Higurashi gave Souta a stern look. "There will be no more talks of lords, demons, or eating people. Am I understood?" Souta nodded dutifully. Bowing his head as a flush crawled up his cheeks.

Kagome rose from her chair to pull the bread she'd brought home out of its basket. As she tore the crusty loaf into four equal hunks, she watched her mother lay out the rest of the dinner items. Looking closely, she wondered if anyone else noticed that her mother's hands shook.

The sun had barely risen when Kagome stepped out onto the path that led to the center of town. Pulling the door closed quietly so as not to wake her still sleeping family, she drew in a deep breath. Her eyes swept over the road, taking in the scores of people camped out along side it.

'Regardless of the winner, it's a good thing the battle's almost over. If it had kept up much longer, there wouldn't be room enough to breath around here,' she thought to herself. She missed the quiet mornings that used to start her day, when the only people she'd see were ones she'd known all her life. Now she was tiptoeing past complete strangers, and there was little peace to be found since she had to be on her guard for trouble. There had been a lot of fights breaking out as the tension rose, and someone had even been killed several days before.

Deliberately pushing that thought from her mind, Kagome started off. The bakery wasn't far, and she wanted to get there as quickly as possible. There was more than enough work to fill the day, and she had no time to waste. When she arrived, she saw that her boss, Yamada, must have had the same thought. The ovens were already stoked and he was busy kneading a mountain of dough.

After she had removed her shawl and was getting ready to help, he stopped her with a shake of his head. "I have a delivery for you to make. Since it's going to be hectic around here in an hour or so, I can't leave. I really don't want you wandering around alone out there, but there's no other option. If you go straight there and back, you should be fine."

Dragging the shawl back around her shoulders, Kagome tilted her head to the side in question. "Where am I going that's so important that it can't wait until you have a free minute?"

"The castle."

She felt her jaw drop in shock. No one got to go to the castle. There was a small army of stewards that acted as go betweens when handling domestic matters, and the staff that worked there also lived there. All in all, there was little to no contact between those who lived in the castle and those who lived around it. In fact, though she had lived her whole life inside the castle gates, she had never laid eyes on the family that ruled it.

Still caught off balance, she vaguely listened as Yamada explained. "Since all these people flooded in, there have been shortages of just about everything. You know me; I don't like to be caught off guard, so I stocked up as soon as the rumors of an attack started. So now they're out and we're expected to jump at the chance to help." He smirked at her. "And we will."

"You want me to just walk up and deliver bread to the people that pretty much decide all our fates?"

"Yup. Don't worry so much, you're expected. It'll take a few minutes, then you're back here, no problems."

Groaning, Kagome looked at the two large baskets that had to contain the bread. "Why did you say that? Everyone knows that once you say 'no problem', you have nothing _but_ problems." She grasped the handles and let them swing to the floor. Heading outside, she rolled her eyes at the laughter that floated out after her.

Grumbling to herself, she made her way through the streets as quickly as the heavy baskets would let her. A strange feeling was uncurling in her stomach as she neared the high stone walls of the castle. It wasn't fear, really, but a mix of excitement and that odd, unexplainable reaction that comes from facing the unknown.

The castle had a permanent stone bridge leading to main opening. It was clear from its design that it wasn't meant to withstand any major attacks; hence the immense walls the encircled it and the houses in the immediate area. Once the gates fell, the castle would be at just as much risk as every other building.

Kagome wondered what was going through the minds of the people inside. Were they at all worried about the fighting that was going on at that very moment? Or did they know something the rest of the village didn't?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she reached the door. Seeing no one around, she cautiously gave it a push. It opened into a deserted room of massive proportions. Long tables marched in straight lines on either side of where she stood. At the far end of the room was a sort of platform, on which sat another table, smaller than the rest.

"The Lord's table," she breathed, eyes wide as she looked around.

"You there! What are you doing?"

"Ah!" Kagome jumped at the loud voice coming from the right side of the room. Whipping towards it, she saw an old, stooped looking man peering at her from a doorway almost totally concealed by shadows. Swallowing hard, she lifted the baskets she held a bit higher. "I'm dropping off the bread. Yamada sent me."

The man's face cleared and he motioned for her to cross the room. "Yes, yes. Why didn't you say so sooner? Right this way." Following him down a hallway, she found herself in a large, airy kitchen. There were a few women there, but none looked away from their tasks as the two new arrivals entered the room. The man led her straight to a table in the back, motioning for her to place the baskets there.

Once that was accomplished, he offered a small smile. "If you'll just come with me, I'll take you to Lady Kaede to see about your payment." Stifling her nerves, Kagome meekly followed him through another doorway, up a flight of stairs, down a long hall, and into a small parlor. Motioning for her to wait, he vanished into another room.

Looking around, she marveled at the tapestries hanging on the walls. Instead of battle scenes like the ones decorating the halls, these were softer, more feminine looking pieces. Fairies lounged on rocks and beside lakes. Small children played in a field of flowers. A unicorn stood majestically beneath a waterfall.

"I will not do it! You cannot make me!" The voice was loud, shrill and forceful as it drifted through the wall. Kagome frowned, wondering what the unknown woman was so set against. Shifting from one foot to the other, she couldn't help but overhear the continued argument; or one side of it, at least.

"It's out of the question! The fact that they would even suggest it is beyond belief, but that you're considering it is just too much!"

There was a pause as the other person spoke, quickly followed by the sound of something breaking. "'Duty to my people'? Why do I owe them anything? What have they ever done for me?"

Her opponent must have reached the end of their patience, because another woman's voice filled the room. This one sounded older, but no less commanding. "You were born to a position of privilege, and now is the time for you to do something in return for that gift. Such is the price that all rulers must pay."

"Not this ruler. Find another way, because I will never agree to this. No matter what."

"You would sentence your people to die rather than do something you found unappealing?" There was disbelief in the old woman's voice now, as though she really couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Unappealing is putting it too lightly. I will not sacrifice myself for a village full of dirty, unmannered peasants. They should be willing to die for me, not the other way around."

"You will condemn dozens to death in a war that could be peacefully resolved?"

"I don't have to answer to you or anyone else. This is _my _land, and I'll rule it as I see fit. And if that means undertaking a war against the Lords of the Western Lands, then so be it!" This strident declaration was accompanied by the sound of a door opening.

Kagome couldn't keep herself from jumping when a woman entered the room. Her cheeks were flushed and there was a determined look on her face. It didn't take much to guess that she was one half of the arguing pair. Halfway across the floor, she appeared to notice that she wasn't alone.

Turning, she gave Kagome a cold look. "Who are you?"

"I'm Kagome. The man told me to wait here?" She hated that her statement came out more like a question, but she had never been faced with someone as imperious as this woman seemed to be.

"Well, find your way back to wherever you belong." Dismissal ringing clearly in her voice, she crossed her arms, obviously waiting to be obeyed. Not knowing what else to do, Kagome crossed the room, heading for the door she had come in through. She could wait in the kitchen for that man to return. As she passed close to the woman, however, a hand shot out to grab her arm.

Frozen in shock, she felt two fingers pinch her chin, raising her face to the light. Eyes narrowed, the woman seemed to take in each feature, turning Kagome's head for better views. Up close, she could see what the other woman had. Although there was a slight difference in age, there was a strong resemblance between them. If one didn't know better, they might be mistaken for sisters.

"Kikyo, what are you doing?"

Kagome took a few steps backward as the new voice caused her to be released. Or not so new voice, since she had heard it just moments before. Turning, she saw an older woman, gray hair pulled back into a bun. The most noticeable thing about her, though, was the black eye patch she wore. Her good eye was focused squarely on Kikyo, curiosity and a bit of wariness showing in her expression.

Kagome turned to Kikyo just in time to see a calculating smile creep across her face. "I think I may have just found the solution to our problem."


	2. What A Girl's Gotta Do

Title: Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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Chapter Two

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What A Girl's Gotta Do

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Almost an hour later, Kagome's head was spinning. She was sitting in the parlor, across from Kikyo and her aunt, Kaede. They, or rather Kikyo, had just revealed her grand plan. A plan that asked little from herself, and had everything to do with Kagome.

"Let me see if I understood all of this correctly. The demon lords from the west are attacking to expand their holdings. They wanted you to just give up the castle, you said no, and that's how the battle started. Now, since it's obvious they'll win, they've offered a sort of peace treaty, guaranteeing the safety and security of all the villagers and yourselves. In return, you have to marry the second son, as a way to solidify their claim through conquest and bloodlines. Am I right so far?" Kaede nodded, a look of disbelief still marring her own face. Kikyo just motioned for her to continue.

"You don't want to marry this second son. Not even for peace and the good of your people." Kagome couldn't help the tinge of disgust coloring her words.

Kikyo rushed to defend her position. "First, it's already my land. Why would I want to marry someone so I can rule over land I already control? And he's a demon. What kind of person would want to marry a demon? And a second son demon, at that!"

'Nice to know you've got your priorities straight,' Kagome thought, disliking Kikyo more with every word she uttered. "So you want me to pretend to be you and marry this 'second son demon' in your place. While I make him think that everything's going well, you'll be looking for a warrior or an army strong enough to come and win back the castle for you. Is that everything?"

"Yes."

"Okay. My answer is no." With that, Kagome jumped to her feet and started to the door.

"Wait! Why not?"

Kagome stared at her dumbly. "Why not? Why not? I am not assuming your identity to falsely marry a stranger when all this could be resolved so much more simply. I suggest you grow up and deal with this like an adult, not a child who throws a tantrum to get their own way. Now if you don't mind, I'm going home."

"I won't allow it!" Angry color staining her cheeks, Kikyo jumped to her feet. "You live in the village that belongs to me. You have to do as I say! It's your job."

Feeling her own temper draw closer to the breaking point, Kagome stopped just a few steps from the doorway. "If you want bread, I'll bake it. I'll even deliver it, if need be. But my job doesn't now, nor will it ever, include obeying orders like this, especially when they come from some spoiled brat!"

Eyes flashing, Kikyo drew herself up to her full height. But when she opened her mouth, it wasn't to continue the argument but to bellow out someone's name. Moments later, a tall man appeared. Bowing slightly, he silently waited. Kikyo turned to face Kagome once more, the cold mask now gracing her features discernable in her voice.

"Lock her in the tower."

"Let me out of here! You can't do this!" Kagome yelled in a voice that was becoming more hoarse by the moment. Her hands throbbed from pounding on the locked door, and there was a knot on her forehead from a brief moment of head banging frustration.

She'd been locked in the room for the entire day and now, as she watched the sun set through the small window, she was past angry and into enraged. Yamada would be wondering what happened to her, and he'd probably talked to her mother by now, too. She'd be worrying herself, thinking that sorts of bad things had happened to her only daughter. Of course, she would never guess the truth.

A slightly hysterical laugh broke from her sore throat as she thought of how she was going to explain this. "Sorry I didn't come home, but a crazy lady who looks a lot like me locked me in a tower because I wouldn't pretend to be her and marry a demon."

Right.

Slumping to the floor, Kagome let her head drop onto her chest. She was tired, hungry, and all she wanted to do was to go home. But if almost twelve hours of screaming and banging had no results, she doubted anything else would either. It looked like she was just going to have to wait and see what Kikyo's next move was.

As it turned out, it was Kaede, not Kikyo, who turned up. There was the scrape of a key in the lock, then a soft tapping before the door swung open and the older woman entered, tray in hand. Kagome immediately leapt to her feet to face her visitor.

Pulling the door closed behind her, Kaede moved to sit the tray on the table by the only chair, one of the small room's few furnishings. She sighed, and then began to speak.

"I apologize for your treatment. I never would have imagined Kikyo capable of doing something like this."

Hours of waiting and worrying had not put Kagome in the mood to be polite. "If you're so sorry, let me out of here."

Kaede shook her head sadly. "I can't. I am only Kikyo's aunt, while she is the true ruler of this castle. For now, anyway. Though I handle small matters, I have not the authority to go against her wishes. And she has made it most clear to everyone that you are to remain in this room. There's nothing I can do."

"Aahhh! I hope those demon lords do conquer this place. Better a demon ruler than a crazy one who locks people up in towers." Crossing her arms across her chest, she dropped to the floor with a _humph_, her back to Kaede.

"I will have another talk with her, and try to convince her to let you go, but-" Her words were cut off as the door slammed open once more, revealing a triumphant looking Kikyo.

"But what, Aunt Kaede? It won't work?" Kagome turned to face the girl who looked so much like her as she seated herself in the chair. "Of course it won't. There's nothing you can say that will change my mind on this. There is, however, something that might change yours."

Seeing the smirk that tilted her lips, Kagome found her worry growing. Almost holding her breath, she waited to see what new plan Kikyo had come up with. She didn't have long to wait.

"You see, I've spent the day with my stewards, and they've been quite helpful. They know just about everything about everyone that lives in the village, including your family. Your mother, brother, and grandfather, who all live in that little house. I even know about your job at the bakery, and how your mother takes in sewing to help earn money." Touching one finger to her chin, Kikyo affected a thoughtful air. "My, I wonder if they're all worried right now, wondering what may have happened to you. Poor little Kagome, vanishing without a trace."

"Yamada knew I was coming here. He'll look for me."

"He already has. And as far as any of the people he asked knew, you never made it here." Leaning forward, all pretence of politeness vanished from Kikyo's face and voice. "I know that I'm asking for something big. But I assure you that you will be rewarded. How would it feel to know that you and your mother would never have to work again? To know that your little brother could have the best of everything? Wouldn't you feel much better knowing your grandfather could be comfortable in his old age?

"I can make all that happen. If you do this for me, when I regain control of my lands, you'll be amply rewarded. Land, money, anything you want. It'll be yours for the asking."

Kagome found herself thinking about what it would be like to live a life where she didn't have to worry about money. A new house, with separate rooms for everyone. New clothes, new blankets, new everything. Just as she was about to lose herself in a fantasy about that life, she recalled what she'd have to do to earn it. Snapping back to reality as though someone had just dumped a pail of cold water over her head, she glared at Kikyo.

"I'm sorry, but there are some things that I won't do, no matter what the 'reward'. Has it occurred to you that there are certain things that a husband would expect from a wife?"

Kikyo rolled her eyes. "You're worried about that? Just lie. Or better yet, be honest. Tell him you wouldn't feel comfortable getting close to some you just met. Ask him to give you time to get to know him. By then, I'll have found my champions and it will no longer matter. He'll be running back to his lands with his tail between his legs and you'll be rich."

"There're more important things than just money. My answer is still no. I'd never be able to live with myself if I went along with this."

"You're turning down a life of complete luxury? It's not like what I'm asking you to do is so hard. You'll get to wear nice clothes, eat good food that someone else cooks, order people around as much as you want, and do pretty much anything you please. If anything, _you _should be paying _me_ for this privilege."

Once more, Kagome found herself staring in disbelief at the other girl. She really couldn't tell if Kikyo was stupid or just hadn't thought her plan through that well. She was beginning to suspect that it was a little of both. 'Well, maybe I should enlighten her a little,' she thought to herself. 'Maybe then she'll see that I'll never do this, and let me go home.'

Carefully counting out the facts on her fingers, Kagome ran down her list of reasons. "One, pretending to be someone else is wrong. Two, I don't want to leave my family. Three, I think that you should handle your own problems. Four, I refuse to marry a stranger. Five, that goes double for a false marriage to a demon stranger. Six, it's not right, demon or no, to lie to someone like that."

"He's a demon invader trying to take _my_ lands!" Kikyo stopped mid-yell, visibly reining her temper in. After taking a deep breath, she folded her hands in her lap. "Well, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but you've left me no choice. Either you do this, or I will make sure that your family suffers the consequences."

"What?!" came from both Kagome and Kaede.

"It'll be so sad, really. Your poor grandfather out in the cold once you lose your house. And if that baker you work for won't need you when he gets a few new helpers willing to work for next to nothing. Your mother would have to take in a lot more sewing to keep you all fed. And I'm sure it would be even harder should that brother of yours fall under the wrong influences." Her thinly veiled threat delivered, she leaned back in the chair and waited for her audience's reaction.

Kagome wanted to argue, but looking Kikyo's coldly composed face, she knew that it wasn't going to help. This girl would do whatever it took to get what she wanted. When everything was said and done, she really didn't have a choice. Sighing, her shoulder slumping in defeat, she said the only thing she could say.

"All right. I'll do it."


	3. Going To The Chapel

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
By** _Lady of the Ink  
_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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Chapter Three

_Going to the Chapel_

**x**

Kagome didn't even flinch when another carelessly wielded pin pricked her shoulder. After hours of standing so seamstresses could alter Kikyo's dresses to her measurements, more than just her legs had gone numb. She felt as though she existed in a thick cloud of cotton. Everything around her was hazy and seemed to move in slow motion.

It had been this way since she had been forced to concede defeat to Kikyo's scheme. She just couldn't allow her family to suffer at the hands of the self-centered girl. Although she was frightened, she knew this was a sacrifice she was willing to make. She could only hope that everything would turn out all right in the end.

"That's enough for now. You have the sizes; you can finish the rest on your own." With that straightforward sentence from Kaede, the women gathered their things and scurried from the room. Kagome simply allowed her leg to fold under her, sinking to the floor. She didn't feel like she had enough energy to keep her head up, let alone cross the room to find a more comfortable seat.

"Are you well?"

At the gentle question, Kagome felt a giggle rise in her throat. It broke free, turning into a bout of hysterical laughter. Tears dripped from the corners of her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her waist. Though there was nothing funny about her current situation, she couldn't stop the laughter. Soon the laughs became sobs, and she had to fight for the breath to answer.

"No. No, I'm not."

There was a sigh, as if the older woman knew what she was going through and sympathized with her. Kagome honestly believed that Kikyo's aunt would help her if she could. But she had spoken the truth when she told of how little power she had against Kikyo's orders.

Maybe it was because of the will to help that she sensed that Kagome had come to almost trust Kaede. Though Kikyo had refused to allow her soon to be replacement to leave the castle, Kaede had seen to it that a letter Kagome wrote was delivered to her family. Not wanting to tell the truth and have them worry, she had phrased it carefully. She mentioned a new job that required her presence at all times, that would pay quite well when it ended in a few months. Kaede had also agreed to see that a small stipend would be delivered to the Higurashi family each week. Kagome hoped it would be enough to help them get by while she was gone.

A warm hand settling her shoulder caused Kagome to look up. Her visible eye showing compassion, Kaede urged her to her feet. "You should go to your room and rest. I'll have dinner brought to you, and then you should sleep. Tomorrow is a big day."

Blindly wandering towards her room, Kagome mentally snorted. Of course she should rest up for tomorrow. After all, it was her wedding day.

**x**

Inuyasha glowered futilely at the castle that rose in the distance. It was almost finished; come this time tomorrow, the castle and all its lands would belong to his family.

"And all I had to do to get it was completely ruin my life," he thought. Shaking his head at himself, he turned away from the sight. As he made his way through the army of demons that had fought by his side for the past several days, he tried to figure out how he'd gotten himself into this mess.

He'd been all for the attack; in fact, it had been his idea. The lands weren't as vast as the ones his family already held, but they were prosperous. There was but a single ruler, and no army to speak of. All in all, he'd thought it would be over in less than a day.

Then his father had gotten involved.

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"You can't just slaughter the whole town."

Inuyasha had rolled his eyes. "Of course not. I need the people to work the land. Only those who foolishly oppose me will die."

His father sighed. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. You know as well as I do that demons and humans do not get along well. If you just massacre the people, others will come to try and fight your claim. When they are defeated, still more will come. Though you will hold the land, you will never be at peace."

"What other way is there to do things? Should I just ask them to give up?" He scoffed, showing clearly that he didn't expect even the weak humans to go along with that one.

"It would be a place to start."

"Wha- what!?"

"You don't always have to jump to the most violent means to get what you want. Try a little diplomacy. Send messages, lie out your demands. Give them options. They may not like you, but once they come under your rule, their knowing you were willing to settle things peacefully may make a lot of difference. A little understanding can make things run much more smoothly down the line. Think ahead, and you'll see that I'm right."

Well, he had listened to his father, and look where it got him. Engaged to marry some little twit of a human girl who couldn't even make up her mind. First, she'd been strongly opposed. She'd sent soldiers, or what he assumed were supposed to be soldiers, out to attack the small group of demons he'd brought with him. Of course, they had been easily defeated.

For almost a week afterward, more men came each day, and each time he sent them off with their tails between their legs. But he didn't lose his temper. The town was still standing, no one had actually died by his hands or those of his men, and they'd never gone past the invisible line he'd drawn the day he'd arrived. And still she had resisted.

Now, without warning, she was agreeing to his terms. She'd marry him, so long as it happened soon. Within the next two days. After that, the castle and its lands would be his, no questions asked.

He still thought his original plan would have been simpler. Now he'd be saddled with a human wife for the rest of her life. Not that that was such a long time to him, but still. What did he want with any wife, especially a human one? She'd probably cry and beg, and do everything she could to make him regret coming.

Like he didn't already.

Sighing heavily, he pushed his thoughts aside. There was nothing that could be done about it now. Come morning, he and a small group of his best fighters would head to the castle. Once the wedding was over and done with, the rest of the army would arrive inside, and stay until the change of rule was accepted.

Finding a deserted spot where he could be alone, Inuyasha dropped to the ground to savor his last night of freedom.

The church bells had been ringing steadily for the last half hour, calling everyone within the range of their sound to the church. A continuous stream of curious people had come and taken their seats, wondering what was going on. Time passed and the last few stragglers arrived, and still there was nothing.

Just as the people were getting anxious, a door at the front of the church creaked open. Stepping inside was a young man. His dark hair was drawn back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He wore the black robes of the priesthood with a deep purple sash around his neck. In one hand, he carried a thick book.

When he noticed the questioning faces, he gifted the crowd with a small, bland smile. Nodding once, he then moved to stand at the end of the aisle running the length of the church. Training his eyes on the doorway at the other end, he folded his hands and waited.

Inuyasha watched all of this from his position a few dozen paces from the church. Even though he was hardly looking forward to the coming event, he was rather pleased at how everything was going. Since his arrival that morning, he had been plagued by setback after setback.

First, his soon-to-be bride had refused to see him, sending word that she would meet him at the church for the ceremony, and not a moment sooner. That had made him angry, but it was an anger that quickly passed as he reasoned that she was as uncertain about this marriage as he was. Deciding that he could allow her the time she sought, he left the castle, feeling generous.

That had lasted until he was informed that there was no member of the clergy currently in residence there. The last priest had been quite old, and hadn't made it through the rough winter. A new one had yet to be appointed. Sending out his fastest men, Inuyasha had told them to find the closest person able to perform a wedding, and bring them back by whatever means necessary. Luckily for him, there had been a traveling cleric not far away who was most willing to return with them.

In an act that was more for his benefit than the villagers, Inuyasha had ordered the bells to be rung for the hour prior to the nuptials. It wasn't because he thought they would enjoy it; it was more a matter of having witnesses who would help cement the validity of his claim. They would see for themselves that he was to become their new lord, and that it was all done in a way that couldn't be disputed.

His sensitive ears heard a sound from behind, and he turned. A small line of women was making their way towards the church. The group was bunched around one woman in particular. Assuming that this was the Lady Kikyo, Inuyasha smirked to himself and entered the church.

He had given no thought to his attire that morning, and wore the same red firerat's fur robe he always did, with his sword at his side in easy reach. It was only when the stifled gasps of the crowd hit him that he realized what he must look like to them. From what his intelligence had gathered, no demon had even set foot in this area for decades. It was no surprise that the people were frightened.

Knowing that there was nothing he could say that would calm them, he merely continued on his way. He did his best to ignore the mothers who pulled their children into their arms and everyone who inched away from the aisle as he headed up it.

"You're the priest?" he asked in a clear voice, making sure that it carried through the room. The holy man nodded, apparently unaffected by the demon status of his questioner. "You have everything you need?" Another nod. "Good. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible."

He strode back the way he had come, only to return seconds later accompanied by four demon men. Two remained at the rear entrance, flanking it. The other two followed him to the front of the church. As Inuyasha turned, he again noticed the frightened expressions on the crowd's faces. Smiling grimly, he whispered a warning to be on guard to one of his men before assuming a stance similar to the priest's.

If the villagers were wondering what was going on, all questions were answered with the next arrival. An older woman with an eye patch scurried down the aisle, taking one of the few empty seats at the front. A young woman in a flowing green gown soon followed her. The girl wore a veil over her face, hiding her expression, but it was still very clear that she was frightened. The small bouquet of flowers clutched in her hands trembled and her steps were dragging as she slowly made her way to the front of the church.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Inuyasha motioned to the priest to begin. As the man recited the usual human vows, Inuyasha stole a quick glance at the girl by his side. There wasn't much visible through the veil, so he didn't even bother with her face. A long tendril of black hair was draped over her shoulder, catching some of the light from the room. She was taller than he had expected, since the top of her head reached about to his nose. Other than that, all that he could tell was that she was on the young side, and that she was very nervous.

Shaking off any feelings of regret, Inuyasha obediently repeated the lines in the right place. When it came to Kikyo's turn, she had to be prompted several times before she began. Even then, her voice was a weak thread of sound, trembling with each word.

But soon enough the act was done, and Inuyasha stood beside his new bride. Smirking a bit, he turned to face her just in time to watch as her knees folded beneath her. Only his quick reflexes kept her from landing on the floor as she collapsed in a dead faint.


	4. And Then He Kissed Me

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
**By _Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

****

x

x

Chapter Four

_And Then He Kissed Me_

**x**

**x**

Inuyasha stared in stunned disbelief at the unconscious girl draped over his arm. Married not more than thirty seconds, and she had passed out. Why did he have the sinking feeling that this was a bad sign?

When he looked up, he noticed that the old woman with the eye patch had made her way past his men. She waited with an uncertain expression on her face, as though not sure she had enough bravery to do what she was about to do.

Not in the mood to play a waiting game, Inuyasha growled, "What?"

The old woman jumped a little, but quickly collected herself. "I'll take her so that you can get on with your business . . ." She trailed off at the appraising look he shot her.

"And who are you?"

"I am Lady Kaede, Lady Kikyo's aunt."

Arching an eyebrow, Inuyasha glanced quickly between the girl over his arm and Kaede. "There isn't much of a family resemblance, is there?" Watching her as closely as he was, he would almost swear that she flinched when he said that.

"My niece should be put to bed as soon as possible. If you will?"

Inuyasha's mind raced. As much as he wanted to be rid of the girl, he couldn't allow the weakness that obeying the crone's subtle order would imply. That left only one option. Motioning to one of his men, Inuyasha then turned back to Kaede as his subordinate disappeared out the door. Smirking, he finally responded. "Lead on."

A distressed look crossed her face at that. "But you can't mean to . . ."

"Oh, but I can. She's my wife, after all. It just wouldn't seem right to abandon her so soon after the ceremony. So, will you lead, or shall I?"

Giving a sigh of resignation, Kaede started down the aisle with Inuyasha close behind her. As they neared the door, he called out loudly to the gaping villagers. "You can all go home now. Nothing more to see here today."

The walk to the castle was slow enough to cause him to grind his teeth. It seemed to take forever just to reach the castle, and twice that long to make it up the stairs to the floor with the bedchambers. When they reached the door to what he assumed was Kikyo's room, he knew that her aunt expected him to drop the girl and leave. He, however, had other plans.

"You can go."

Her jaw dropped open at his stern announcement. Her lips moved, but no words came out.

Turning his back deliberately, Inuyasha crossed to the bed. Balancing his new wife's slight weight with one arm, he pulled back the thick coverlet with the other. As he slid her into the bed, he heard slow, scraping steps as Kaede reluctantly obeyed him. She left the door open behind her, a circumstance that he quickly remedied. He could almost picture the look on her face when she heard the sound of the lock being clicked.

Crossing to the window, he watched with satisfaction as the man that he had sent off at the church returned, leading the rest of his men through the gates. If they followed his orders, and they would, there would soon be a demon patrolling and memorizing every rock, tree, and house in the village. The townspeople would have to get used to it, and Inuyasha was of the mind that there was no time like the present for accomplishing things.

A soft sigh caught his attention as Kikyo moved in her sleep. Giving in to his curiosity now that no one was around to see, he took a seat on the side of bed. He looked at his bride, her veil still obscuring the features of her face. With just the tips of his fingers, he peeled it away to reveal what lay beneath.

His first thought was that she was younger than he had expected. Her features had a softness about them that spoke of youth and innocence. Inky black bangs lined her forehead, making the skin beneath seem even paler. Her eyelashes were dark fans resting under her eyes. The only other color on her face came from her lips with their rosy hue.

As he looked at her, she seemed to feel his perusal. A frown flashed across her features and she turned her head, snuggling more deeply into her pillow. After a moment, her expression smoothed, and her breathing slowed even more than before.

Knowing that she was in a deep sleep, Inuyasha took the free moment to reflect on the morning's events. Although there had been more problems than he had been expecting, none of them had proved insurmountable. And now, just before noon, everything seemed to be successfully resolved. He sighed, feeling almost disappointed that things had been accomplished so easily. He could have used a good battle to settle himself down. After all, the possibility of fighting had been the one thing he had been looking forward to in this whole mess.

Raking a hand through his long hair, Inuyasha rose from the bedside and paced almost angrily across the floor. His mind was going over all the things that had combined to bring about that day.

Although this village lay directly on the boundary to the Western Lands, no demons had ever settled or even traveled through it openly. It had long been rumored that the ruling family had a history of strong powers, perhaps even great enough to defeat the ruling Lord of the Western Lands. Whatever the reasons were, the humans kept to their side, and the demons did the same.

Until now. Inuyasha had always known that his brother would follow his father as the next Lord. He had also known that his brother wasn't overly fond of him. When he was younger, neither of these things had bothered him overmuch. But now that he was older, Inuyasha found himself chafing under that knowledge. Fights with his brother had become more frequent and more violent. Finally, his father had been forced to set down an ultimatum.

"Either act in a way that proves to me that you can handle life here when your brother takes over these lands, or find lands of your own." And that simple sentence had begun it all. This village, being as close and minutely populated as it was, had seemed the perfect location. Little had he known all the strings that would come attached.

Not that he was complaining, really. It could have been worse. He could have had to marry Kaede instead of Kikyo. Just thinking about that made him shudder. Yes, it could have been worse.

Again he found himself drawn to the girl in the bed. There was something about her, something in her face, in her scent, that called to him. It was the hint of something greater; something he couldn't clearly make out but knew was there. He found himself quite curious as to what it was. It came to him that since she was his wife, he would have a long time to find out.

**x**

Kagome sighed, shifting deeper into the warm softness that seemed to encompass her from head to toe. Her mind was slightly fuzzy as she drifted in that space between sleeping and awareness. Some subtle voice kept whispering to her to wake up, that there was something she had to remember, but she ignored it as best she could, content for the moment to linger where she was.

There was the vague sense of time passing. Though her location hadn't seemed to change, Kagome no longer felt the same peace she had before. Some niggling worry was coming closer to the surface, and she could no longer disregard it. Groaning quietly, she forced her tired eyes open, accepting defeat.

The first thing she saw was a pair of golden eyes staring back at her from just inches away. Stifling a scream, she jerked upright, throwing herself backward to put some distance between herself and those eyes. Her back hit something hard, and she focused enough on her surroundings to realize she was in a bed, now propped against the headboard. Sitting by her side was a silver haired young man with strange ears that sat perched on the top of his head.

That one instant of shock was enough to send everything that had happened crashing back into her mind. Meeting Kikyo, the outrageous plan, the threat against her family, the walk to the church, repeating her vows, a feeling of heaviness invading her limbs . . .

Her brain ground to a stop, one thought remaining clear. The man beside her was Inuyasha, and he was her husband.

No, she corrected herself; he was Kikyo's husband. But not really that either. Feeling a headache coming on, she dropped her gaze to her hands, folded tightly around each other in her lap. She knew that she needed to clear her head so that she didn't say the wrong thing. But how was she supposed to do that when her demon not-quite-husband was staring at her with an intensity usually reserved for warriors and their prisoners?

Before she could dwell too long on that thought, the source of her uneasiness spoke. "Are you feeling better now?" His tone was serious, but not unkind.

She nodded. Summoning her courage, she managed a quick look at his face. Or it was supposed to be a quick look. When she raised her head, golden eyes caught brown ones and held. His head was tilted just a bit to one side as he studied her, a small frown pulling at one side of his lips. He sighed, the sound enough to startle her into jumping a little.

"You're not what I was expecting," he announced, then immediately seemed disconcerted, as though he hadn't meant to speak that thought out loud.

Feeling a bit braver now that it seemed unlikely he was going to call her out on her lie or attack her just because he could, Kagome shot back an answer. "You're not exactly what I was expecting, either."

He looked a little surprised, then grinned. At the sight of gleaming white fangs, Kagome couldn't help but flinch a little and draw back.

Seeing her reaction, Inuyasha grunted in disgust. "If I was going to kill you, I would have done it _before_ going through all this wedding stuff."

"Sorry," she mumbled, hoping he wouldn't be too angry with her for her slip. She made a mental note to try and stifle her involuntary, fearful reactions. Hastening to explain, she spoke again. "It's just that I've never even seen a demon before, and now I'm . . .married to one." She stumbled over the word "married" as her mind quickly threw the invalidity of the union back in her face.

Inuyasha apparently took it another way. His features slackened and his eyes narrowed slightly as he replied in a steely voice. "Well, that's not something likely to change any time soon, so you'd better get used to it. In fact, maybe there are a few things you ought to get used to."

That said, he leaned forward quickly and, before she could object, pressed his lips to hers.

As he kissed her, three words came to mind. Soft, smooth, and sweet; that was the only way to describe it. Moving closer, he raised a hand to her shoulder, tangling his fingers gently in her hair as he deepened the kiss.

Kagome felt her mind stutter to a stop at the first touch of his mouth on hers. The feeling was as gentle and warm as it was alien to her. As she sat there, she no longer thought, she only felt. Felt the warmth of his breath, felt the heat of his body as he leaned close, felt his fingers sliding through her hair . . .

Gasping, she abruptly pulled away. Though she couldn't remember exactly why at the moment, she knew she shouldn't be doing that. Not with him, even though it felt so nice . . .

'Get a hold of yourself. You can't just let him do things like that. Remember why you're here, and keep your wits about you, for goodness sake!'

Even as her inner voice was giving vent to it's tirade, Inuyasha was leaning close again. It was very clear what he was about to do, and Kagome knew that she couldn't allow it to happen again. Without thought, she did the first thing that popped into her head.

She slapped him.


	5. Why Don't You Get A Job

Title: Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

(Just remember, all references other characters make to Kikyo at this point mean Kagome as she pretends to be Kikyo, unless otherwise stated.)

****

Chapter Five

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Why Don't You Get A Job

.

It was supposed to be payback for her frightened reaction. He had meant to scare her, to make her stop looking at him with those big, dark eyes. He never expected to feel the way he did. The first touch of his lips on hers had sent a jolt all through him. It was there again, that unnamable something that called to an elemental part inside him that he hadn't even known was there. His fingers stroked through her hair, confirming his assumption on the softness of the silky strands. Moving closer, Inuyasha deepened the kiss.

Kikyo pulled back with a gasp, looking at him with stunned eyes. One hand drifted upward to press against her mouth. At that sight, his attention refocused on her lips, now gently swollen from his kiss. Still caught up in the moment, he leaned forward to pick up where he had left off. Before he could make contact, however, he was surprised with a stinging slap across his left cheek.

A solid minute passed as he looked at her in disbelief. So focused was his attention that he caught every expression as it flitted across her expressive features. First came amazement, as though even she hadn't expected her action. Then was regret, melting into nervousness as she took a good look at his darkening countenance. When he remained unmoving, she gulped, the action bringing a new expression with it: Fear.

With a growl of irritation, Inuyasha surged to his feet. Without a word to the girl on the bed, he strode from the room.

Since it was still his first time inside the castle, Inuyasha didn't have a destination in mind when he stormed out. All he wanted was to put enough distance between himself and Kikyo so that he could think clearly. Maybe then he'd be able to figure out what it was about her that managed to get to him so quickly and thoroughly that he was breaking self-imposed rules after only a few minutes in her company.

As he was crossing the open courtyard, a polite cough from the side caught his attention. Rounding on the person who had made the noise with a less than open expression, he found the priest who had carried out the wedding not an hour before. Crossing his arms across his chest, he raised an eyebrow before snapping, "What?"

The man seemed unaffected by Inuyasha's rudeness and answered calmly. "I was informed by some of the villagers that the reason you needed my help this morning was because the old priest had passed on this winter. Since that position is vacant, I thought I might offer my services to fill it. And since it is apparent that you are the new master of this area, I assumed that you would be the one to see about such a matter."

Inuyasha took a moment to consider his options. While he couldn't care less about this problem, the humans who lived here might have a different opinion. And if that proved true, it meant it was only matter of time before they bothered him about it. By allowing this man to take the job, he would stop complaints before they happened. And should there be a problem and a new priest would need to be found, enough time would have passed for him to have appointed someone else to handle such things.

That decided, Inuyasha looked at the man in front of him with a more critical eye. He seemed normal enough for a priest. He was on the young side, but had an air of maturity about him. Even under intense perusal he maintained his calm, features blank and his hands folded in front of him.

"What's your name?" Inuyasha asked, only just realizing that he didn't know it.

"Miroku."

"Why don't you already have a position elsewhere?"

"Although I have had many opportunities to settle in one place or another, I have not yet found the right place for me. And because of that, I chose to wander rather than be unhappy. Today, when I arrived, I had the feeling this may be the place I have been looking for."

That answer seemed reasonable enough to Inuyasha, and clinched his decision. "All right, you can stay."

A smile crossed the priest's face, the first real emotion he had shown since his arrival. "I thank you for your kindness." With that, he turned and headed back toward the church.

A moment later, Inuyasha continued on his way. Although the discussion with the priest had been a momentary distraction, the second it had ended, all of his frustrations had come roaring back.

He would be the first person to admit that his knowledge of humans and females was very limited. Put the two together and that well of information just about dried up. And now he was stuck trying to figure out someone who was just that.

She had kissed him back. He hadn't imagined it. There had been a response to his actions. An uncertain, innocent kind of response, but a response. So why had she slapped him?

Or, Inuyasha asked himself, coming to the real reason for his distress, why had he felt so bereft when it ended? She wasn't supposed to mean anything to him, and she didn't. Not really. He didn't know anything about her.

But there was the potential for more, and he knew it as surely as he knew his name. Given enough time, that gentle, pure quality that fairly shimmered around her would draw him in. Soon he'd be wrapped around her little finger, and that was something he could not allow.

Glowering at the few people daring enough to risk crossing his path, Inuyasha stormed through the gates towards his army's encampment. Starting upon his return to his new wife, things were going to be different. She would know exactly who was the boss in this situation. It didn't matter if she was scared of him and jumped every time he came near her. It didn't. It didn't.

Fairly snarling by now, he motioned to one the demons currently breaking camp. The soldier looked at him with a questioning expression until Inuyasha unsheathed his sword. As enlightenment dawned, he too, armed himself. It was clear that the new role of lord had already begun to wear thin in one way or another.

A circle of others gathered around the two as their battle began. Soon the air was filled with the ringing of metal grinding metal, interspersed with grunts as the fighters gave their all. Slash, block, and the soldier was forced to take several steps backward under the force of Inuyasha's blows. Not letting his new advantage go to waste, Inuyasha kept pressing forward, keeping his opponent off balance and on the defensive.

__

Slash.

Dark eyes, uncertain and fearful.__

Slash.

A pale hand pressed to a quickly beating heart.__

Stab.

A breath indrawn in fright.

With a growl that felt as though it were ripped from his throat, Inuyasha swung wildly, leaving an opening for his adversary. Lunging forward, the other fighter managed to graze Inuyasha's side, opening the flesh in a long, thin streak.

The tinge of pain finally centering his focus, the white haired demon quickly regained his edge. Within another six blows, the fight was over. The soldier was on his back in the dirt, the lethally sharp blade of Inuyasha's sword just pressing against his throat. Sheathing his sword, Inuyasha offered him a hand. As the loser gained his feet, another soldier retrieved his sword from where it lay. It was several feet away, the force of Inuyasha's blow having sent it flying.

Nodding to his men, Inuyasha didn't wait to see them return to their tasks. He continued on his way, slightly calmer now that he had vented some of his earlier frustration. Not that he was entirely at peace. No, he had a feeling it would be quite awhile before he managed to get complete control over himself.

**x**

Kagome groaned, pulling her knees up to her chest and burying her face in them. She couldn't believe what she had just done. On the list of top ten things _not_ to do, she had just accomplished one, three, and seven. She had let him catch her off guard, kiss her, and then she'd done something to anger him.

Flipping back the covers, she took a moment to note that she was still fully dressed from the veil on her head to the slippers on her feet. She allowed herself a small bit of relief at the evidence that she had nothing else to worry over at the moment. That thought didn't comfort her for long, however.

Struggling not to panic, she forced herself to focus on routine things. First she took a good look at the room she was standing in. It was large, with windows placed to let in the maximum amount of light. A four post bed sat in the middle of one wall with a large trunk at its foot. Against another wall was a small stand containing a wash basin and matching pitcher. The rest of the room's furniture included a long bench by the fireplace, a closed armoire, and another trunk in the corner.

Kagome assumed this to be Kikyo's room, due to the feminine colors it was decorated in and the sheer size of it. When she had fainted, Kaede must have directed Inuyasha to this room. It made sense, since it was to be hers from then until Kikyo returned to end the charade.

Taking a seat on the bench by the fire, Kagome sighed. Kikyo's plan had only just been set in motion, and she was already feeling uncomfortable with it. If it weren't for the subtle and not so subtle threats against her family, she never would have agreed to go along with this. But she had no choice, not really. She would just have to see everything through to the end, no matter who got hurt along the way.

At that moment, the real Kikyo was slipping through the trees behind the castle where she had lived her whole life. It had been easy enough to escape, since all the villagers were gathered in the church. That was the only thing that demon had done to benefit her since she'd received his first missive nearly a month past.

She had refused his offers at a peaceful takeover outright, of course. She was no weak willed woman to turn and flee at the first sign of stormy times. At no point did she foresee herself losing her lands to a fool like _him_. But somehow, she had.

Huffing in disgust, Kikyo thrust aside a dangling branch with unnecessary force. Never had she come across someone who went against her will. Then along comes some demon lord, thinking he can just take her lands while she sat on the sidelines. No, not even a demon lord, she had found out, but merely the second son of a demon lord.

Striding forward, she glowered at the underbrush. He would soon see the error of his ways. When she returned, she was going to bring all the fury of Hell along with her. She would make him regret every second he spent ruling in her place. Every breath he drew, every decision he made would be repaid with his blood.

Her hand dropped to the bag dangling at her side. In it was a fortune in jewels and gold, all the wealth she could carry. Surely it was enough to pay for an army to do her bidding. A massive army who would obey and attack, no questions asked.

Yes, it wouldn't be long until she reclaimed her place. Not long at all.


	6. That Kind of Girl

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
**By _Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

__

General Reminder: All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kagome or the real Kikyo's POV.

****

x

x

Chapter Six

__

That Kind of Girl

.

Kagome sighed as she paced in "her" room. It had been almost an hour since Inuyasha had stalked out and she had yet to hear from him. While one half of her was relieved to postpone what was sure to be an unpleasant experience, another part just wanted to get it over and done with. Every stride across the room made the knot in the pit of her stomach tighten. Every passing moment made her hands clench into tighter fists.

She knew that there was only one way to bring the situation to a head but still maintain a modicum of control. She would simply confront him before he could confront her. That way the meeting would happen when and where she chose, giving her a small advantage.

She could only hope that that small advantage would be enough. Even as she stuck firm to her decision, an image of the fuming expression Inuyasha had been wearing upon his departure materialized in her mind. She swallowed.

Never having been one to back down once she had made up her mind, Kagome went into action. Rooting through the multitude of clothing that the room contained, she selected the simplest dress she could find. It was a delicate shade of green, with white lace lining the square neckline and falling from the full cuffs. A braided belt in a subdued tone of gold was twined about her waist, matching the gold stitching that edged the hem.

Removing the wedding veil had mussed her hairstyle beyond repair, so she hurried to correct that as well. Brushing her dark locks until they shone, she hesitated before leaving them to hang down her back. She would have preferred to tie the mass back with a ribbon, but since one wasn't readily available, she settled for the simpler style.

Kagome stopped to take a deep, bracing breath before almost charging from the room. She wanted to accomplish her goal before she managed to talk herself out of it. It took a moment for her to remember the way to the hall, but luckily, no one was around to see her slip. Moments later, she was crossing the hall.

So wrapped in thoughts of what she was going to do, Kagome was paying little attention to where she was going. It caught her completely off guard when she rounded a corner and slammed bodily into someone else. A startled gasp was torn from her throat as she started to tumble backwards.

Just before she would have hit the floor, two strong hands grasped her shoulders and pulled her back into an upright position. The sudden change of angle threw her off balance, causing her to overcompensate. She landed with her cheek pressed against a hard chest, breathing in the scent of sweat and something else, something . . .darker.

"Are you okay?"

The deep voice that rumbled the chest beneath her cheek caused Kagome to look up quickly. She gasped when she realized that it was Inuyasha who had broken her fall, Inuyasha who now held her against him. Her hands rose quickly to press against his chest in an effort to put some space between them.

Inuyasha was having none of that. His arms tightened around her like bands of steel, keeping her from moving. He repeated his earlier question.

"Are you okay?"

"Um, yes. Thank you for catching me," she managed. Although she had hoped answering him would bring about her release, he didn't seem ready to let go. He just stood there, eyes locked on her face.

Kagome pushed against his chest again with the hands that still rested there, and frowned when she felt something slick beneath her left palm. Her curiosity at the out of place sensation allowed her to tear her gaze from his as she lifted her hand into the light. Her entire body stiffened as she saw the layer of blood that coated her fingers.

**x**

Inuyasha looked at his wife's face, watching as she paled. His golden eyes flickered to the cause of her distress, then dismissed it. The small amount was nothing to get worked up over, a mere scratch to be ignored.

Apparently Kikyo disagreed. This time when she shoved away from him, he let her go. His head tilted slightly to the side as he waited curiously for her reaction.

"You're hurt!" There was a note in her voice that he hadn't expected. It was concern, and it was apparently for him. That thought was confirmed when she grasped his arms and pulled them away from his injured side. Tugging at the red fabric that was heavy from the blood it had absorbed, she quickly bared the wound to the hallway's minimal light.

His sensitive ears caught the sound of her gasp as she saw the long, thin gash. Gentle fingertips brushed the edges, a gesture that surprised him enough to draw in a quick breath.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you." She didn't look up as she spoke, merely continued studying his injury. Inuyasha simply watched her, unmoving, as he waited to see what she would do next.

Grasping his hand in her own, Kikyo began pulling him back the way she had come. Following docilely, he soon found himself seated on the edge of the bed as his new wife darted about the room, gathering random items while muttering under her breath. Just when he was about to rise, she returned to his side. Dropping her supplies onto the bed bedside him, she quickly sorted it out.

"Take off your shirt," she ordered, casting him a quick look from over her shoulder as she stood at the washbasin, carefully wringing excess water from the rag in her hands. More bemused than anything else, Inuyasha obeyed. The woman in front of him seemed different from the one he had left in the very same bedroom just awhile before. Gone was the frightened look, the uncertain eyes. In their place came a quiet kind of confidence that spoke of knowledge and a willingness to help.

So what had changed? Was a small cut really enough to make her face the person she apparently feared? Why did she even care?

Kikyo knelt at his side and carefully dabbed at the wound with her cloth. Although he could have told her it was no big deal, Inuyasha held his tongue. Whether they liked it or not, they were married. If it took an injury to keep her from shrinking away from him, he wasn't foolish enough not to take advantage of his newfound knowledge.

He continued eyeing her intently as she carried out her self-appointed task. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and the tip of her tongue peeped out of the corner of her mouth. Whenever she reached a spot on his side that required firm pressure she would wince, almost as though she felt sorry for doing something she assumed would cause him pain.

In truth, the slight throbbing was far from his mind. The small gash would be healed by morning thanks to his demon blood, and it would take more than that to make him uncomfortable.

What _was _on his mind was the girl kneeling by his side. Every move she made sent a wave of some flowery scent toward him, probably from something she had put in her bath. Normally the scents worn by human women bothered his sensitive nose, but this fragrance was so light that he found himself leaning forward to catch another trace of it. It seemed a perfect match for Kikyo; delicate and subtle, but able to catch his attention with a small amount of effort.

He was examining the highlights that the sun was casting on her inky hair when she looked up. His thoughts stuttered to a stop as brown eyes locked onto his face. It took a moment for him to become conscious of the questioning air that had settled over her. He guessed that she must have said or asked something that he had missed.

The mild embarrassment that he felt when he realized he had been caught staring instead of paying attention caused his voice to be rougher than he had intended when he spoke. "What?"

He half expected her to back away or cringe as her earlier fear returned, but she didn't. Her eyes flashed and then narrowed. She straightened her shoulders as she repeated her request. "Raise your arms."

Inuyasha obeyed, curious about her change in attitude. He wondered where the defiance she was showing now had been that morning. Where was the pale, trembling girl from the church, or the frightened, outraged one from just a few hours before? How many sides were there to his new bride?

As soon as his arms were out of the way, Kikyo began winding a long strip of cloth around his waist. It was all he could do to keep from jumping when her hands brushed his bare skin as she settled the bandage into place.

"There," she muttered, leaning back to eye her work. Apparently satisfied, she rose to her feet and began collecting her materials. As she put them all away, Inuyasha shrugged back into his shirt. He found himself feeling almost . . .nervous, which was ludicrous, of course. He was a half demon, and the new lord of this entire area. She was a human girl with no more power than he chose to give her. If anyone should be uncomfortable, it should be her.

Almost as though she had read his thoughts and agreed, Kikyo took up a position by the window, which happened to be as far from him as was possible in the room. She twisted her hands in front of her and though he couldn't see it, his keen ears picked up the sound of a slipped kicking at the floor. Every few moments she would throw a quick look at him, then immediately switch her gaze to another part of the bedchamber.

Inuyasha figured that she was waiting for him to leave and had taken his first steps toward the door to do just that when she finally spoke.

"I think that . . .that we should talk." Kikyo's voice trembled a bit at first, but came out strong when she continued. "We need to talk."

Wondering what she was getting at, Inuyasha leaned one shoulder casually against the wall, then cocked an eyebrow at her. "So talk."

She huffed a little, but stopped wringing her hands as her annoyance with him overtook her nervousness. He made a mental note of that, then fixed his eyes on her face.

"I know that we're . . .married and everything, but this was all very sudden for me. I mean, it's a situation that's going to take time to get used to. I really think it would be a mistake to rush into . . .things before we even know each other. This morning . . .that ki-. . ." She paused to take a deep breath as crimson tinted her cheeks. "What happened this morning shouldn't happen again. Not yet, I mean. In time, when we know each other better, or at all, really, then I'm sure it would be natural but . . ."

Annoyed with the almost pleading tone her voice had taken, Inuyasha interrupted. "So what exactly are you trying to say?"

"No more kissing!" she snapped, then slapped a hand over her mouth as her eyes widened in horror.

Feeling almost insulted, Inuyasha allowed his instinct to take over. Years of listening to Sesshomaru had taught him to hide his emotions instantly. Letting a smirk cross his face, he pushed away from the wall.

"That's all you have to say?" She nodded. Striding to the door, he tossed his final comment over his shoulder. "You don't have to worry. It's not like I actually enjoyed kissing you, anyway. Believe me, I'm in no hurry to kiss stupid human girls."


	7. Who's That Girl

****

Another's Name, But My Heart

__

By Lady of the Ink

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

****

General Reminder:

_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kagome or the real Kikyo's POV._****

Chapter Seven

Who's That Girl

.

The young woman sat at a simple wooden table in the middle of a tavern. An untouched drink sat in front of her as her eyes roved over the people in the room. She had learned early on in life that to let your guard down for even a moment could be the last mistake you would ever make. That folly had taken her father from her and she wasn't about to allow the same thing to happen to her.

She sighed a bit, taking in the angle of what little sunlight made its way through the grimy windows. Night was fast approaching, showing that she had been waiting for quite a few hours. It was well after the time she had agreed to meet her potential employer, and she would have to return to her brother soon.

Although she was only a few years older than him, she had been more mother than sister when they were growing up. This led to a lot of worrying when she had to leave him alone for long periods of time. He was also all she had left of her family, and she didn't want anything to happen to him.

Another few moments passed slowly as she debated her options. She could leave now and risk missing the person who had summoned her, or she could wait a while longer in the hopes they would finally show with a valid offer. On the one hand, she had wasted enough time doing nothing and would be well within her rights to leave. On the other hand, she and her brother needed the money, and the missive she had received promised plenty of that.

She was saved from her spinning thoughts when a cloaked figured entered the tavern and caught her attention. The person paused by the door, either to allow their eyes to adjust or to get a good look around. Then the shadowed hood turned in her direction and she knew her appointment had arrived.

It wasn't just a show of defiance due to her company's lateness that kept her from rising when the figure took the chair across from her. She had chosen the meeting place carefully, from the building to the very table at which she sat. There was nothing but a wall behind her and a straight path to the door in front of her. If she needed to, she could have been out of her seat and through the exit in less than ten seconds.

Her eyes slid over the few things revealed by the thick wool wrap. Her companion's build was average, with a height about equal to her own. Although the cloak was misleading, she got the feeling that the body it concealed wasn't that of a fighter. It seemed more . . .delicate, almost, which matched the light tread and small steps that had brought it to the table. All in all, she had the feeling that this person was not much like her usual employers.

The feminine voice that drifted softly from the hood confirmed this. "You are Sango, the demon exterminator, am I correct?"

Sango nodded, but said nothing as she waited for the mysterious woman to continue.

"I have heard that you are a most reliable resource for dealing with unwanted demons. I do hope that I have not been mislead in that?"

"My family has been foremost in that field for generations. There has yet to be case we couldn't manage." Sango could hear the pride that had crept into her words, but didn't bother to try and stop it. What she said was true, and it was a tradition she would do her best to carry on for as long as she was able.

"Good. I have a problem that I wish for you to handle."

Sango tilted her head to the side as the woman explained her situation. Darkness had fallen fully by the time she finished. When the woman's words trailed off, she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but that's not the kind of thing we handle. When you said a demon had invaded your home, I thought you meant something like a snake demon nesting in your wine cellar. A demon Lord's son overthrowing ruling families in order to expand territories is a little out of my league. I'm afraid I can't help you. Sorry."

When she moved to stand, the other girl's hand shot out and locked tightly onto her wrist. The soft, pleading voice from moments before was gone, replaced by a hissing whisper. "You'll be sorry! That _thing_ won't be happy with just my lands. He'll come looking for more, and this little town will probably top his list. You'll wish you had taken on the job when you watch your neighbors die at his hands."

A quick jerk earned her hand's freedom, but did nothing to stop the hate filled words that came to her ears. "They're all the same, disgusting, filthy creatures with nothing on their minds but bloodlust and destruction. They won't stop until they take everything from us. You're as bad as they are, refusing to help your own kind."

"That's enough! You offered me a job; I refused it. Our business is finished. Goodbye." Sango turned from the table and walked quickly towards the door. The hatred the woman displayed was far beyond anything she had heard before. It left her with the unsettling feeling that there was little she wouldn't do to get her way.

Sango wasn't exactly sure which part of the conversation had caused the uneasy feeling in her stomach, and she didn't have the time to think about it now. She had to get home; Kohaku was waiting. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the woman's final words.

"You'll be sorry. I'll make you sorry."

**x**

Kagome stood still in her spot by the window as Inuyasha vanished through the door. As soon as he was out of sight she allowed her tense muscles to relax and sagged against the cold stones that made up the wall. Her gaze dropped to her hands. When she noticed they were trembling she quickly fisted them in the material of her skirt.

She knew that she shouldn't care what he thought of her. After all, she was only in this mess because of Kikyo's threat to her family. Once the other woman accomplished whatever plan it was she was working on, she would be free to return to her family and put this entire ordeal behind her.

So why had his words stung?

Pushing away from the wall, Kagome resumed her earlier action of pacing the length of the room. She always found it easier to think when she was doing something physical. That was why she enjoyed her work at the bakery. Since she was the one who handled most of the deliveries, she did a lot of walking and thinking.

Pushing those memories away before she started wishing for times she couldn't have back, she forced herself to think. It seemed that her biggest worry of the moment could be laid to rest. Inuyasha had made it pretty clear that he had no designs on her, even if she was, in his mind, at least, his wife.

Kagome forced her mind to focus on other, more immediate matters. Now that she knew she could relax her guard just a bit when it came to Inuyasha, she was reminded of another problem that she needed to discuss with Kaede. Needing the distraction. She decided to seek the older woman out.

She poked her head out into the hall for a quick look around. Finding it deserted, she stepped outside. She had no idea where Kaede might be, since she hadn't spoken to her since before the "wedding". Her best guess was that her bedroom would be near Kikyo's, but that only helped if Kaede was in her room. Disinterest or not, Kagome wasn't ready to meet Inuyasha again just yet.

Shrugging her shoulders, she turned to the door left of where she stood. Knocking on the thick wood, she waited for a response. When none came, she pushed it open and peeked inside. It was another bedchamber, but seemed to her to more a guest room than one that was used by a full time resident. She moved to the next door down and repeated the action.

It wasn't until she hit the fourth door on the other side of the hall that she experienced success. At the first tap of her knuckles on the portal, it was yanked open and a wrinkled face appeared. A hand clasped onto her wrist and she was pulled inside just as the door was slammed shut behind her.

"Thank goodness you're all right, child. I intended to look after you, but he ordered me from the room. I wanted to stay, but I didn't want to anger him just to have him force me to leave, anyway. I was called away for a while, or I would have checked on you sooner. You are okay, aren't you?" The eye that wasn't covered quickly looked her over from head to toe. Noticing that the wedding dress had been replaced with another, a look of dismay rose onto her face. "He didn't . . ."

"No!" The memory of Inuyasha's parting sentence made her reply more forceful than she had intended. Kagome deliberately softened her voice so as not to distress the older woman. "No, he didn't do anything." Except kiss me and then tell me he hated doing it, she added mentally.

Kaede sighed in apparent relief. "That's good news. Come, have a seat." She motioned to two chairs situated near the fireplace. When they had both settled in, she turned a questioning look on her guest. "So why did you seek me out?"

Kagome leaned forward. "I was just out in the hall earlier, and I got a little turned around," she began, remembering her ill-fated trip to confront Inuyasha earlier. "While I was lost, I thought about finding someone to show me the way to where I was going. That's when I realized something. Won't all the servants know right away that I'm not Kikyo? If one of them should mention it to Inuyasha or one of his men, I don't know what he might do!"

'And even if _he_ would listen to reason, which I doubt, Kikyo wouldn't hesitate to fulfill her threat about my family,' she thought, but the fact that Kikyo was Kaede's niece kept her from bringing it up.

"Ah, well, I thought of this as well, and it's not something you need to worry about. Kikyo kept to herself most of the time, preferring not to associate with anyone who lives here. To be honest, I think she felt they were beneath her." It was the subtle censor directed at Kikyo as much as her other words that allowed Kagome to relax.

"So as long as I stay away from the village where people will recognize me as me, I should be okay. That's a relief." She leaned back in the chair, her eyes drifting closed as she sighed in relief. Her whole body seemed at ease, her muscles loosening as she sank more deeply into her seat.

"I know that you didn't want to do this, and I am sorry that you must." Kaede's softly spoken words penetrated her hazy mind, but didn't seem important enough to force her eyes open. "Know that I will do all I can to help you through this, and all that will come afterwards."

The stress of everything that had happened had caught up with Kagome, who barely felt the gentle touch on her arm. By the time a thick blanket settled over her legs, she was fast asleep.

**x**

Inuyasha paused at the end of the hallway leading to the castle's main bedchambers. It was well into the night, so there was no one around to see the new lord's strange behavior, or wonder why he seemed so hesitant about approaching a certain closed door. Having spent the past hours walking the boundaries of his territory, he was feeling as tired as he ever really got, but for some reason, he was unable to settle down to get some rest. Every time he closed his eyes, Kikyo's face flashed into his mind. He had been telling himself it was because he was annoyed with her, but that excuse had begun to ring false even to himself.

The truth of the matter was that she rattled him. The quicksilver changing of her moods fascinated him. He replayed them in his mind, remembering how she had gone from brave to cowering, concerned to angry, tentative to brazen, all without warning. But that wasn't the worst of it. He could almost feel her lips against his own and her hair coiled around his fingers. His skin tingled just thinking about her gentle actions when she had cleaned and bandaged his wound.

But then he remembered the literal slap in the face that had been followed by the other, more figurative one. Although she hadn't said any of them aloud, he could imagine what her thoughts had been at that moment. Of course she wouldn't want to be touched by him. He was, after all, just a demon. She was a lady, coddled and pampered all her life. To her, he was probably little more than an animal.

Except it wasn't disgust that had been on her face when she made her announcement. There had been fear, but not the kind he was used to seeing. No, she wasn't afraid for her life, but of something else. Exactly what, he hadn't a clue. Behind the fear was the most puzzling expression of all. She had seemed to almost plead with him with her eyes, to beg him to do as she requested.

Inuyasha growled deep in his throat. He was spending far too much time thinking about Kikyo, especially in light of the fact that all his pondering brought only more questions, never answers. She couldn't possibly be everything that he was making her out to be. As time passed, he would find that she was just like any other human woman, with the same annoying habits. The mysterious air she had would fade as he learned about her and her ways. In no time at all, he should be able to completely ignore her, just as he did all the other distractions to come into his life.

With that thought repeating in his mind like a mantra, Inuyasha finally took several steps forward. As soon as he was fully in the hallway, he was assaulted by Kikyo's scent. It was several hours old, but clear enough for him to identify immediately. She had apparently wandered around this area for a bit not long after he had left her in her room.

'Wonder what she was doing?' he found himself asking, then quickly forced the thought from his mind. It shouldn't matter to him how she spent her time. It didn't matter. He wouldn't let it.

He had intended to pass her room and head for the one at the very end of the hall. It was a guest chamber, but more than sufficient for his needs. Once things were running more smoothly, he could see about refurnishing it to his taste. But his steps seemed to falter and he found himself reaching for the door handle of Kikyo's room. After a quick look around to make sure he was still alone, he opened the door slowly.

Everything looked the same as it had when he'd left earlier. Everything except for Kikyo. There was no form curled up in the massive bed, like he had expected. She wasn't sitting in any of the chairs, or standing by the window. She was gone.

Without taking time to question why he cared, Inuyasha spun on his heel and exited the room. He was already starting down the stairs to search for her when something hit him. While her scent had been thick in the hall, it was practically nonexistent on the stairway. What small traces there were were even older than the ones in the hall, obviously from when she had bumped into him and then insisted on cleaning his wound. Putting two and two together, he returned to the second floor.

He found her in a room smelling strongly of the older woman who had identified herself as her aunt. She sat in a comfortable looking chair in front of a slowly dying fire, a blanket tucked carefully around her legs. Her head was titled to the side to rest against her shoulder. She looked even younger than she had when she had fainted.

Crouching down beside her, he studied her as she slept, trying to find some as to what it was about her that had him so off balance. He had seen women more beautiful, and had defiantly met others with better manners. But none of them had ever confused him like she did.

Sighing, he stood, gathering her into his arms. As he walked back to her room to put her to bed, he decided to ask his father when he came to visit, as he had promised to do in a few weeks. Perhaps the older demon would be able to give him some answers. Until then, he would just keep his distance from his wife.

It would be safer that way.


	8. Who Invited You

Title: Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

General Reminder: All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV.

****

Chapter Eight

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Who Invited You

.

_Several weeks had passed since Inuyasha had become a husband, and each one had seemed to him to take a year. It hadn't been difficult to keep his distance from Kikyo. As much work as needed to be done with his new lands, he was busy from before dawn until well after everyone else had retired for the night._

The people were taking the transfer of power much better than he had expected. Many were willing to work with him once they were reasonably sure he didn't plan to have them for dinner. Some had even seemed relieved at the change of rulers. From some of the things he and his men had heard, there had been quite a bit of unrest long before he had come onto the scene. From the state of some of the homes and the people who lived in them, he could see why.

And therein lay the problem. The people spoke of their ruler as hardhearted and selfish, someone who cared more for herself than any of them. He had heard more than one tale of men losing work just because they had happened to make a request of her when she was in a bad mood. They also spoke of high taxes and numerous rules they felt she imposed simply for her own amusement. Punishments were harsh and rewards for jobs well done were unheard of.

They painted a picture of a cold and unfeeling woman, someone who thoroughly enjoyed the misfortunes of others. He was having a hard time believing it was the same Kikyo who had put aside her fear to care for a small scratch on his side. She had been willing to disregard her unease just because he was injured. That spoke of a kind of person willing to help others before they helped themselves.

As he did everyday, Inuyasha was sitting in the great hall, awaiting the arrival of people come to plead their cases. Some wished to marry, other wanted to expand their plots of land. All needed his permission. It was a boring task, but necessary to maintain order and his knowledge of what was going on around him.

The number of villagers coming to him was small on that particular day. Seated in the Lord's chair, he had plenty of time for thinking about the inconsistencies between the wife he had interacted with and the one his new people spoke of in hushed tones. He was grateful when one of his men arrived with the news that someone was approaching from the direction of the Western Lands. Embracing the distraction, he rose from his place and went out to greet the new arrival.

He remembered his father's promise to come soon, and found himself eager to greet the older demon. His father had been married to his human mother for many, many years, and Inuyasha was hoping that that time would have given him some insights he could pass on to his youngest son. Inuyasha dashed to the gates, then stopped to wait, unwilling to appear too eager. After all, he was on his own now. It was time to let his father come to him.

All thoughts of being mature and lordly vanished the instant he saw the visitor's identity. Spreading both feet into a fighting stance, he aimed his fiercest glare at the unwelcome sight in front of him. His voice was mostly growl when he spit out his words of "greeting".

"What are you doing here?"

Kagome sighed as she looked down at the needlepoint resting in her idle hands. While she normally liked sewing, this morning the simple task was just reminding her too much of her mother. Every few minutes she would find herself drifting into memories of the life she had been forced to leave behind.

Setting the piece aside, she climbed to her feet. She had been spending the past few weeks following Kaede around and learning all the tricks to running such a large household. But on that morning, the older woman had gotten a message from someone in town about a woman in need of medical help. Since she was well accomplished in the healing arts, she had left immediately with a pouch full of herbs and potions she had retrieved from a small room filled with such things.

Due to the fact that she couldn't be seen in the village for risk of being recognized by people who knew her, Kagome had had to be left behind. She had spent the morning drifting from one activity to another, all of which were quickly abandoned as boredom set in. It wasn't even lunchtime yet and she about to start screaming just for something to do.

Crossing to the window, Kagome gazed outside, squinting to see if she could make out her old home from where she stood. It was an impossible task, since the houses in the village were too far away to make out and even if she were closer, all the roofs looked alike from her vantage point. But she still tried, knowing it was because of her longing to reclaim something of what she had lost.

She was just conceding defeat for the time being when a group of people by the gates caught her eye. Inuyasha was easily identifiable, dressed as he was in his usual red outfit. One of the soldiers who had stood inside the church during the wedding stood by his side, which wasn't an unusual sight. What was unusual was the person at whom they both appeared to be staring.

He was tall, a fact which she easily made out even from her distance. His hair was just as white as Inuyasha's, but lay more smoothly down the back of his pristine garments. A sword hung at his side, and one hand rested easily on the hilt. He looked more like he was posing than being threatening, but something about him made Kagome shudder. She leaned farther out the window, hoping to get a better look. Inuyasha appeared to be talking to the new arrival, and the soldier seemed to be . . .cowering? That couldn't be right. The few times she had been in his company, he had struck her as the hardened fighter type. If the man in white troubled _him_, then she should probably be hiding under her bed.

Kagome frowned, watching as Inuyasha braced his legs further apart before planting his hands on his hips. Even though he was far away, it was clear that he was angry. Curiosity raged through her. Who was the other man, and why did Inuyasha seem so upset that he had come? Just as that thought registered Inuyasha turned on his heel and headed back inside. After a moment's pause, the stranger did the same. The soldier headed off at a run towards the encampment where many of the demon army still stayed.

Moving away from the window, Kagome gnawed on her lower lip. They were probably in the hall or the main parlor, well out of sight from her current spot. She had a choice: remain where she was and rely on someone else to fill her in on the details later, or head down there to find out for herself.

In the end, her desire to know overwhelmed even her sense of preservation and she slipped out of the room. Although her bravery didn't extend so far as to allow her to approach them directly, it did prod her to find a location where she would be more likely to overhear what she wanted to know. The Lady's parlor just off the great hall seemed like the best spot and so she walked as silently as she could towards it. Halfway there, however, the sound of voices drew her steps in another direction entirely.

**x**

Inuyasha glared fiercely at his brother, feeling his hands ball into fists as he waited for an answer to his question. As was always the case with Sesshomaru, it was a long time coming and less than satisfactory when it arrived.

"Our father sends his regrets."

"Why?"

"Although he said he would come, certain events have occurred that have him indisposed at the moment."

Inuyasha tamped down the urge to growl at Sesshomaru. He knew from experience that the more he made of his brother's deliberate withholding of information, the longer it would take for him to relay his message. "Is something wrong back home?"

"Nothing that Father can't handle. He is, after all, a full blooded demon." It took someone who had lived with him for as long as Inuyasha had to detect the slight curl of Sesshomaru's lip. It was the only change in his otherwise completely impassive face as he delivered the barely concealed insult.

This time he did growl. It was obviously too much for his brother to be civil for a complete conversation, even given the circumstances. He should have expected nothing less from the person who had spent his entire childhood telling him how tainted he was because of his human blood.

Without bothering to say another word to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha spun on his heel and stormed his way back towards the hall. He had no more than flung himself back into the Lord's chair when Sesshomaru was again standing in front of him, impassively eyeing his surroundings. Averting his gaze, Inuyasha noticed the other demon that had come inside with his brother for the first time.

It was on the small side for a demon, with reddish brown fur. A kitsune, if he didn't miss his guess. Although it was very hard to tell, he figured it to be quite young, since it had curled itself into the smallest ball possible and was trying desperately to go unnoticed.

"What's that?" he asked without turning away. The kitsune cringed slightly at his harsh tone.

"A gift from Father."

"What?!"

"His words were 'See not only what is there, but also what might be done.'"

Inuyasha frowned, puzzled over his father's meaning. He had no doubt that there was something important contained inside the bizarre message, but exactly what it was, he couldn't say. It was his father's approach to impart knowledge in such a way that a lot of thought was required before the true point could be found.

Then again, the last time he followed his father's advice, he wound up with a human wife who had more sides than any normal family would. Did he really want to risk getting stuck with something even worse? He eyed the shuddering ball of fur again. What possible motive could his father have had for sending such a "gift"? And with Sesshomaru, no less. It was amazing that the cub hadn't been reduced to a scorched spot somewhere along the way.

The slight sound of slippers on rock had his attention swinging towards the doorway. Framed there was Kikyo, her expression tentative as she paused on the threshold. Her hands were twisting themselves together in front of her, a sure sign of her uncertainty, he had learned. The fact that he knew that disturbed him for some reason, and it came through clearly in his voice.

"Did you want something?"

Her cheeks flamed red as her eyes dropped from his face and locked onto the floor. "I'm s-sorry to interrupt. It was just . . .I heard voices . . .and . . ."

"And decided you'd pop in for a visit?" he asked sarcastically. The sight of his brother regarding her with a detached sort of interest made the hair on the back of his neck rise. In a bout of frank honesty, he admitted that he hadn't wanted Sesshomaru to meet her. Not yet. His reaction would have been the same if his father had come as he had promised. It had less to do with his brother than it did with Kikyo and himself. He had wanted to keep her to himself until he understood her complex nature better.

Of course, Kikyo didn't know that, and must have assumed that his angry tone was directed solely at her presence. He regretted it immediately, knowing it would put still more space between them and a bearable arrangement he was still hoping to find. He lifted one hand as he sought to explain, but she had already turned on her heel and fled, but not before he caught the sight of tears sliding down her suddenly pale cheeks.

"I must say that this is more entertaining than I had hoped. At least the trip was not entirely a waste of time." Sesshomaru spoke as he turned from the doorway, straightening a lock of hair that had dared flutter out of place. The smirk had returned, clear evidence that he found the whole situation an amusing distraction.

His eyes going back and forth between his brother and the now empty spot where Kikyo had just stood, Inuyasha sighed.

"Well, damn."


	9. You've Got A Friend In Me

Title: Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

General Reminder: All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV.

****

Chapter Nine

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You've Got A Friend In Me

.

Kagome hurried down the hall with tears running down her face. Dismissing her room as too far away, she opted instead to head for her original destination. Once inside the Lady's parlor, she shoved the heavy door closed, barely noticing when it bounced back open. She threw herself across the sofa and buried her head in her arms to have a good cry.

It had been foolish of her to interrupt Inuyasha's meeting, that much she would easily admit. But that hadn't been a good enough reason for him to snap at her like he had. Was it too much for him to simply say "I'm busy right now, come back later?" Of course, that would imply that he would _want_ to see her at another, less hectic time, and from the way he had been avoiding her, that was about as likely as her sprouting wings and flying from one of the towers.

Even though she was only pretending to be his wife, she still felt hurt by the way he seemed to dislike her. She couldn't think of what she might have done to anger him, and trying to figure out his moods swings was driving her insane. All her life, she had thought of herself as an easygoing, likable person. No one else had ever seemed to have a problem with her.

Then she had met Inuyasha. Now she was second-guessing her every move, thinking about any possible way it might make him unhappy. More than once she had completely discarded her plans out of her uncertainty. She was spending more and more time in her room or with Kaede, and the loneliness was beginning to take its toll. She missed her home, her family, and her old life. Every day she spent away from them made the time of her return seem farther and farther away. The strain of living in the middle of Kikyo's plot of lies was quickly eating away at her composure.

Just as she was about to sink into another bout of sobbing, Kagome heard the sound of soft footsteps crossing the floor. Jerking into a sitting position, she quickly wiped at her face, hoping to remove as much evidence of her crying fit as she could. The knowledge that her eyes must be red and swollen made her drag the process of raising her eyes out for as long as she could.

When she finally did look up, she was surprised to see no one standing in front of her. Her forehead furrowed in confusion until a small sound had her looking down. There, right by her feet, stood a small creature with a huge, fluffy tail. It was wearing a miniature outfit of blue pants, a green shirt, and a tan vest with a matching bow in its hair.

Kagome just stared in speechless surprise until it shifted uncomfortably and ducked its head. Looking up shyly from beneath overhanging bangs, it spoke in a small voice.

"Are you okay?"

A little boy, she thought, nodding in response to his question. A tiny foot kicked at the stone floor before he spoke again. "My name is Shippo. I just got here a little while ago."

Kagome relaxed a bit, sensing that the little demon, as she was now assuming he was, didn't mean any harm. After all, he had come all this way to ask her if she was all right. Settling back on the sofa, she smiled a little. "Hello, Shippo. My name is Ka-Kikyo. It's nice to meet you." She tensed for a moment at her slip, then calmed when he didn't seem to notice.

"It's good to finally be around someone who isn't all mean like those two." Shippo tilted his head toward the door and pulled a face, obviously meaning the white haired demons in the other room. Now that he was away from them, he had undergone a very noticeable transformation. Gone was the small, shivering ball of fur. In its place was an animated youth who seemed to want company as much as she did.

Kagome smoothed down her skirts before patting the open space beside her. Shippo quickly hopped up beside her, bouncing in place for a moment. When he settled, he gave her a surprisingly sympathetic look. "You shouldn't let them get to you. If they see your fear, they'll probably wind up using it against you."

Cocking an eyebrow, Kagome didn't hesitate to point something out to her undersized companion. "I didn't exactly see _you_ making a stand in there. You were curled up so tightly I thought you were a footstool!"

Shippo ducked his head in apparent embarrassment before defensively lifting his eyes. "That was different! I had to spend the last couple of days traveling with Sesshomaru! You only had to deal with Inuyasha. While he's not exactly the nicest person in the entire world, compared to his brother, he's a saint. Sesshomaru will eradicate people for just looking at him wrong. Inuyasha is a million times better."

Her recent brush with the "nicer" brother had a quick correction rising to her lips but Kagome firmly repressed it. Although he wasn't being what could be called friendly, neither had he been overly cruel in his dealings with her. An image of disapproving golden eyes and wickedly sharp claws came to mind and she stifled a shudder. Things could have been much worse, and might still be once the ruse came to an end.

Not liking the path of her thoughts or the queasiness it brought to her stomach, she deliberately redirected them, focusing once more on Shippo and the words he had just spoken. "So if it was such a bad trip, why did you come? To visit the village, I mean. Are you Sesshomaru's helper or something?"

Shippo's eyes widened almost comically and he flailed his little arms wildly. When he finally managed to speak, his already high-pitched voice had risen noticeably. "No one spends time with Sesshomaru if they can help it! I was only traveling with him because I had to. And to be honest, it's not something that I ever wanna have to do again!"

His obvious agitation made Kagome frown. "If you didn't want to go with him, then why did you?"

"I didn't exactly have a choice. When the Lord of the Western Lands tells you to do something, you don't ask questions; you just do it."

"'The Lord of the-' Oh, you mean Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father, right?" Shippo nodded and Kagome sent a silent thanks of gratitude to Kaede for constantly repeating background information every time they were alone. Even if Shippo didn't appear to be good friends with either brother, there was always a chance that the details of her conversation with him might get back to them. It would have raised suspicions if she didn't remember things that the real Kikyo would have known well, and that was the last thing she wanted. "So he just sent you here with no explanation about why?"

Shippo shook his head. "None."

Although she had just met Shippo, Kagome nonetheless felt offended on his behalf. "That just doesn't seem right. If he was going to uproot you from your home and family, the least that he could have done was give you a reason why."

"Well," he paused, and she could tell he was hesitant to continue.

"What is it, Shippo?"

"I don't really have any family, or a home, to be honest. I'm an orphan, so I've been on my own for awhile now."

Sympathy welled up inside her, tempered with guilt for her earlier thoughts. She had been whining and feeling put-upon because she was simply away from her family. Now she was sitting beside someone who was as out of place as she was, but who didn't have the comfort of someone or somewhere to go back to. Biting her lower lip, Kagome made a decision. For as long as she was around to do it, she was going to take care of Shippo, even if it meant an argument with Inuyasha to do so.

Turning to the smaller boy, she hesitantly curled her hand over his tiny shoulder. "Well, Shippo, I'll make you a deal. For as long as we're both here, you won't be on your own anymore. I'll be your friend if you'll be mine, okay?" Her offer was rewarded with a brilliant smile only dimmed slightly by her mental continuation.

_'Because I have a feeling that we're both going to need all the help we can get.'_

_**x**_

"I just don't understand her!"

Inuyasha accompanied his strident declaration with a low growl. His pacing never slowed as he expanded on his thought for the benefit of the man who leaned easily against the wall. "One minute she's standing up to me over something and the next she cowers as soon as I raise my voice. And then there's everything that I'm hearing from the villagers. None of it fits together and all of it is driving me crazy!"

The priest, Miroku, merely nodded as he listened, the same way he had been nodding since Inuyasha stormed into his small house beside the church. The hanyou lord had begun blowing off steam before he could even utter a greeting, leading Miroku to choose silence until Inuyasha had calmed a little. He obviously needed to vent his frustrations before he would even hear any advice, let alone consider taking it.

"I didn't want this marriage anymore than she did, but I was willing to give it a try. But what if she only agreed to it to stop the fighting? How do I know that this isn't part of some secret plan she has to keep me distracted so she can . . .do something I wouldn't want her to do?" He stopped pacing and looked expectantly at the dark garbed figure across the room.

Since it appeared he was actually waiting for an answer, Miroku cleared his throat. "Women are very complex creatures. You can't expect Lady Kikyo to be any different. From what you've told me, it's clear that you need to get to know her better. Over time, it will be easier for you to conclude which is her true nature. From there, you should be able to guess at her intentions."

Inuyasha's face slackened in disbelief. "You think I should get to know her? How?"

It was Miroku's turn to pause. He gathered himself quickly, though, and pushed away from the wall to tick off options on his fingers. "Talk to her, ask questions. Watch her; see what she does and how she acts when you're not around. Talk to the people she's around the most and see what their opinions are. Or you can be patient and wait for the answers to reveal themselves."

There were other, more enjoyable ways to get answers, of course, but Miroku didn't think the half demon would appreciate hearing them. The observations he had made during his short stay so far had made it clear to him that the newly wedded couple was far from ready for them, anyway. The tortured expression Inuyasha was currently wearing hinted that even the simpler things he had listed would be a chore. Miroku shook his head in sadness. It was such a waste to fight when there were so many better ways to spend the first weeks of marriage.

Without saying another word, Inuyasha turned on his heel. With a noise of disgust at the whole situation, he stormed from the small house, grumbling all the way. He knew the priest was right, but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it. The potential outcomes for such an undertaking were almost too numerous to cover. Their confrontations so far had followed a twisted path through worry, tenderness, slapping, snapping, and tears. And then there was the kiss that he couldn't seem to forget. Who knew what the next one might bring?

"Spend time with her," he muttered to himself, throwing a glaring look over his shoulder. "Why does the thing I _should_ do always seem to be the last thing I _want_ to do?"


	10. No More Drama

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
**By _Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

_**General Reminder:** All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

**_._**

**Chapter Ten**

_No More Drama_

**_._**

Sesshomaru had quickly tired of the small castle and the scent of humans that permeated it. While the pitiful dwelling was perfect for his half-breed brother, it was far beneath what he, a powerful _full_ demon, deserved. When Inuyasha vanished soon after his new human wife fled the room, he wasted no time in removing himself from the offensive surroundings.

Since the nearby courtyards were just as bad as inside, he turned himself towards the thick stand of trees off to the left. It was the beginning of the dividing forest between the human village and the Western Lands. He was soon surrounded by the fresh scent of nature and nothing else, proving that this was an area the villagers obviously avoided. It was probably the only evidence of wisdom he had seen them display yet.

Although there was something of an uneasy truce between the two areas, demons had been known to cross the unofficial divider and make a meal of the unsuspecting travelers who ventured too near. Every time it happened, there was the threat of a battle and action had to be taken by both sides to prevent it.

It was one of the biggest factors that had his father pushing Inuyasha into his marriage with the human woman. There had been other reasons, of course, but Sesshomaru wasn't going to waste his time dwelling on them. His father's request might keep him near his brother for the next several days, but that didn't mean he needed to spend all his time thinking about the worthless hanyou.

He moved around the base of a particularly old tree and paused. His brow furrowed just the slightest bit as he raised his chin several inches. For a moment, he remained exactly as he was, judging something that had drifted to him on the slight breeze. There was a scent there, so faint one of lesser ability might not have picked up on it.

Human.

He could smell a human.

Sesshomaru took a few steps and the odor intensified. It wasn't curiosity that moved him forward, he told himself. No mere human could inspire such a thing in him. It was merely a diversion, something somewhat less wearisome than the other options open to him at the moment.

The smell became the strongest in a small meadow hidden within the trees. Flowers bloomed in profusion, adding their fragrance into the mix. Whoever it was that dared live in the forest did so alone. There was only one scent layered on the air, proving that the human had come and gone many times in the past. The newest layer was only hours old, its freshness allowing him to tell that that it was a young female.

A moment passed as Sesshomaru questioned why such a person would be living alone in the forest. Did she have no family? Had she been abandoned?

Realizing what he was doing, Sesshomaru quickly called a halt to his wayward thoughts. Turning on his heel, he made his way back through the trees the way he had come. He was leaving because he was uninterested in the little amusement his discovery could offer. It had nothing to do with the knowledge that since the nameless, faceless human had already visited the meadow once, she would be unlikely to return that day.

And that wasn't disappointment he felt, either.

**x**

Inuyasha paced restlessly in the courtyard, his hands locked together behind his back and his eyes trained on the ground. His mind was running over Miroku's advice and still not liking it much. As he stalked, he argued with himself about whether or not he should give it a try.

On one hand, there was no real reason not to; whether he liked it or not, this marriage wasn't something he could just toss aside. It was only logical that a little effort would be needed to make such a union between strangers work. With nothing risked, there could be no reward.

On the other hand, he wasn't sure he could take spending a lot of time alone with Kikyo. Her eccentricities aside, his own reactions to her would make it a volatile meeting. She had managed to raise more emotion from him in a few brief encounters than many others had after years of trying.

He paused briefly in his pacing as he heard light footsteps approaching him. The wind shifted, bringing him the scent of the very person who had just inhabited his thoughts. Without looking up, he resumed his pacing, hoping she would take the hint and leave until he felt more prepared to deal with her.

She didn't, instead coming to a stop just a few feet away. The scent of the kitsune whelp his father had sent along clung to her, annoying him. He had heard them talking in the parlor as he passed it, seemingly having become fast friends. Why was it so easy for her to be open with the runt when she practically fainted whenever he was near?

Since she wasn't going away, Inuyasha knew he would have to face her, ready or not. Finally coming to a stop, he turned. She shifted slightly when he met her eyes, giving him the impression that she would have liked to step back. She stopped herself in time, hiking up her chin and returning his look. He silently questioned which tact she would take when she finally chose to talk.

"Inuyasha, I was wondering if you had a moment?"

Politeness, he thought. A safe move on her part. "What?" he snapped, deciding not to go easy on her. If he was going to have to spend time with her, it was better that she got used to his moods right from the start. No way was he going to tiptoe around to avoid hurting her feelings or scaring her off.

She swallowed hard, a sound that his ears easily picked up. She took a deep breath before a clearly rehearsed speech poured from her lips. "I don't know why your father sent Shippo here and neither does he. He said that you hadn't been expecting him so I can only assume that you don't have some specific task in mind for him yet. If it's not too much trouble, I was hoping that maybe you could spare him to be a sort of . . .companion to me?" Kikyo winced, apparently at the note of pleading that entered her voice at the end of request. She closed her eyes as though bracing for a quick refusal or argument.

Inuyasha found himself almost taken aback. Was she so lonely that even that whelp seemed like good company? The thought so unsettled him that he found himself actually reconsidering Miroku's advice. A little time with her here and there wouldn't be so bad, and it might help get their relationship to a more settled place.

But that wasn't the point of the moment. Putting the priest's words aside for more thought later, he quickly weighed her appeal. She had a point; he _hadn't_ been expecting the cub and so he didn't know what to do with him.

Now that she had brought it up, however, Inuyasha found himself thinking that the whelp might actually come in handy. Miroku had said to speak with the people she spent a lot of time with. So far he had only seen her with her crone of an aunt. Since he highly doubted he'd get anything useful from her, maybe the best solution was to add in a new variable in the form of a young kitsune. She would get a new friend, and he'd have someone he could grill for answers when the time came.

Pleased with his solution, Inuyasha returned his attention to Kikyo. She was still nervous, as her clenching hands and the film of sweat dotting her brow clearly showed. But she met his eyes with a resolve that he couldn't help but admire. Giving a sharp nod of his head, he delivered his answer. "I don't have any other plans for the brat yet, so I guess it would be fine. But if I need him somewhere else, don't try to cry and change my mind, got it?"

"Got it." Kikyo agreed happily, a brilliant smile spreading across her face. She was obviously elated at the quick yes. "Thank you!" Apparently deciding to go before he changed his mind, she spun on her heel and vanished back into the hall. Inuyasha remained unmoving where she had left him for a long moment, several things running through his mind. The most prominent item was her attitude. He had just caught another glimpse of the sweet, caring side she had shown while tending his wound. Was that her true personality? Surprisingly enough, he found himself thinking that if it were, he wouldn't mind this marriage as much as he had before.

**x**

Sango made her way down the narrow path with her equipment strapped securely to her back. Although her body stung and throbbed from numerous cuts and bruises, she maintained a vigorous pace. The job she had just completed had kept her from home for almost two weeks and she was more than a little anxious to return. It was more than mere homesickness that had her quickening her steps, though. The events of the past several days had instilled a sense of foreboding in heart that she was hard pressed to ignore.

Soon after leaving the site of her task, Sango had run across a string of lower level demons that had made it a point to attack her. None had been particularly powerful and so she had defeated them all fairly easily, but something about the fights raised warning bells in the back of her mind. It was after the fifth such ambush that she began wondering if winning had never been their purpose at all. It was almost like they were sacrificing themselves to delay her return.

She spent several miles trying to convince herself that it was nothing more than overactive instincts that caused her to think something was wrong. A large part of her training had been to expect the unexpected and constantly be on guard. It stood to reason that she would occasionally see a threat where none really existed.

Even with all her self-directed arguments, her mind continued to play out the worst possible scenarios. It wasn't her own safety she feared for; she could hold her own in most any fight. But Kohaku, home alone, could boast no such skill. He was a gentle soul, never really taking to the training their father had tried to pass on to him. She knew he hated hurting any living thing, demon or not, and so she had allowed him to stay home while she took the jobs that kept them fed and clothed. He was happy, and she was happy.

But now she just kept thinking that Kohaku was all she had left in the world. It would be more than she could bear if something were to happen to him. Was it possible that someone who wanted to hurt would know that and target him?

A shiver darted up her spine and she lengthened her strides once more. All in her head or not, Sango knew her worries wouldn't be laid to rest until she saw for herself that Kohaku was as healthy and safe as when she had left him. Once her fears had been disproved, she would be able to settle in for a nice break. This last job had paid well, surprisingly well. With the extra money they would be free to do some relaxing, maybe hike to the lake their father used to take them to visit when they were young. Some fishing and swimming would be a nice change from all the traveling and demon exterminating.

She had managed to calm herself a little with pleasant thoughts like that by the time she turned the last corner towards home late in the afternoon. As the hut that she and Kohaku shared came into sight looking exactly the way it had when she'd left, a small part of her relaxed. The cozy building stood on its own, although the village was only a few hundred feet away, over a small rise. It was a small precaution to ensure the villagers' safety should some vengeful demon find its way to her door. The distance wasn't much, but it was enough that, should the alarm be raised, the villagers would have some warning and opportunity to flee to safety.

"Kohaku! I'm home!" she called as she dropped her bundles by the door. They would remain there until she had time to see everything meticulously cleaned and stored in its proper place.

Sango stepped into the dim interior of the hut but was stopped almost immediately when her knee slammed into something that was blocking her path. Dark as it was, she knew the layout of the hut like the back of her hand. The path she had taken should have been clear.

Something was very wrong.

Her earlier premonition returned with a vengeance and she leapt to the nearest window, wincing as something crunched underfoot. She grabbed the shade and pulled, ripping it completely from the wall. Dim rays from the setting sun filtered inside, illuminating dust motes and something much, much worse.

The table lay on the floor in several chunks, its pieces mixing with bits of shelves that had been pulled from the wall and smashed. Shards of dishes lay in small piles, the source of the crunching from moments before. Everything was covered with a fine film of flour from the now destroyed bag lying in a heap in the corner.

The moment seemed to stretch into an eternity as Sango's eyes swept over the destruction of her home. All the heat evaporated from her body, leaving her like a block of ice, unmoving.

The moment passed as quickly as it had come, releasing her all too swiftly from its numbness into a world of chest-tightening, breath-stealing fear. "Kohaku! Kohaku!" she screamed, knowing somehow as she did that there would be no answer.

It took only seconds of frantic searching to see that the house was empty. Kohaku was nowhere to be found. What she did find made the situation even more nightmarish. In the fading light, she made out signs of a struggle near the door. The floor was scuffed and on one side of the jamb was a streak of blood, as though something had brushed against it . . .or been rammed into it. The fact that it was at the same height as Kohaku's head was an upsetting detail that she didn't fail to notice.

The scream of anguish that poured from her felt as though it were being tore from her throat, its rough edged scrapping and burning as it went. Sango dropped to her knees, mindless of the debris poking harshly into her flesh. She wrapped her arms as tightly around herself as she could, she sobbed into the silent room.

Time passed before she was able to pull herself together enough to remember who and what she was. As the best demon exterminator around, there was almost no prey she couldn't track down. She wouldn't rest until she found the man or beast responsible for her brother's disappearance.

Shoving her pain aside was the hardest thing Sango had ever had to do, but she managed it. She knew she'd need a calm, clear mind to do what needed to be done. Since full dark had fallen, she knew she wasn't going to be able to start hunting until the sun came up again. That left an entire night to make it through, and she wasn't going to waste it. Lighting every lamp in the room, she began carefully searching for any clues Kohaku's attacker might have left behind.

Even though she knew agitation would only cause her to miss something vital, she couldn't help feeling a flash of mixed pain and anger when she found more blood under the mess on the floor. Firmly pushing the emotions aside, she continued her work. Until she had all the information she could gather, she would need to treat this like any other job. Personal feelings would have to wait.

Her methodical searching turned up not one but two pieces of evidence. On one of the larger chunks that had formerly been her table was a clear impression of four clawed fingers. The deep gouges they had left behind were almost an inch deep, clearing demonstrating the strength of the hand to which they belonged. Her expert eyes quickly noted the spacing between the marks, categorizing the demon as one with a human or near human form.

The second clue she found was so inconspicuous that she almost missed it. During a moment when her professionalism began to fail her, Sango's eyes drifted back to the streak of blood on the doorway. It was then that she noticed the hair snagged higher on the frame. Long and silver, it certainly hadn't come from her or her equally dark-haired brother.

The sun rose the next morning to find her equipment cleaned and her pack fully stocked for a long journey. Her weapons had been sharpened with the knowledge that she intended to use them soon. As she began looking for the enemy's trail, she made a promise to herself.

She wouldn't rest until she found out what had happened to her brother.


	11. That Thing You Do

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
**By _Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

_**General Reminder:** All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

**_x_**

**_x_**

**Chapter Eleven  
**_That Thing You Do_

**_._**

Kagome smiled as Shippo bounced up and down on his small bed, chattering about the plans they'd made for the following day. He seemed especially excited about the hike they were going to take after breakfast, although she suspected it had a lot to do with the enormous picnic lunch the cooks had already begun packing.

"Come on now, Shippo," she scolded gently. "If you don't get to sleep soon, you'll be too tired to walk tomorrow."

The kitsune cub protested, but finally settled down enough for her to tuck him under the covers. Leaning down, she brushed a soft kiss across his forehead. "Good night, Shippo. Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning." Shippo's smile was interrupted by a huge yawn. In less than two minutes, he was fast asleep.

Kagome rose slowly, being careful not to disturb him. She walked to the door, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder as she went. Her heart warmed at the sight of the young demon snuggled under the covers with one arm tossed over his head.

The past week had seen Shippo almost constantly by her side. He had also earned himself a permanent place in her heart. She had come to think of him like a small, fluffier version of Souta; it was a comparison that was both pleasant and painful. It reminded her of the brother that she longed to see, but also the fact that she was no longer as alone as she had been.

Another change had occurred over the past several days, one that was about to continue in a few short minutes. It was also something that Kagome was less sure she was happy about. It had happened the same night as Shippo's arrival . . .

As soon as it was official that the small orphan would be staying with her, the nearest carpenter had been sent for to construct a bed for him. The man had worked hard on the simple piece of furniture, finishing it in near record time. She had been so excited to see it with Shippo that she had rushed through dinner, eating as little as she could without drawing notice.

It was no real surprise when, not long after Shippo fell asleep in his new bed, her stomach began to growl. She had slipped down to the kitchens for a quick snack of bread and cheese, making it there and back to the stairs without incident. That good luck streak seemed to end when she reached the landing and saw Inuyasha waiting by her door.

As soon as he had spotted her, he'd straightened from his slumped position against the wall. One look at his face had made it obvious that he had something to say. Her heart had begun to thump almost painfully as she stared up at him, silently hoping that whatever reason he had for seeking her out would be something that she could easily handle. Since that narrowed the possible topics to something _not_ concerning the huge lie she was living, Kagome wasn't holding out much hope.

The actual subject turned out to be slightly less horrible than she'd feared, but it didn't let her off the hook by a long shot. Inuyasha's tone had been unbending as he spoke. "This whole thing isn't something either of us wanted," he had begun, the words coming out with the air of having been rehearsed, "but it's time we both accept it and find a way to deal with it. Too many people depend on us making this work for things to go on the way they are now."

'You have no idea,' had been the first thought to pop into Kagome's head. And he didn't, she had realized quickly, not when it came to the threat hanging over her family. His concerns were based on entirely different reasons than her own.

Her mind had suddenly clicked back to another part of his statement, the part about finding a way to deal with it. It took a long moment before she could manage a reply. "Wh-what exactly do you want to do about that?" Kagome's voice had wavered several octaves as her brain insisted on throwing images of the possibilities at her. Thankfully for her and her strained breathing, he had replied quickly with an answer much tamer than any of her own choices.

"One hour a night will be spent getting to know each other." He hadn't quite met her eyes as he'd said it, choosing instead to stare at some point over her left shoulder. That small sign of his own discomfort had allowed her to answer with a semblance of composure.

"Excuse me?"

"One hour a night, after you've put the brat to bed," he had repeated firmly. "If I can stand it, so can you." His eyes had flickered over her briefly before he'd turned on his heel to stomp away without another word.

Kagome had remained motionless, staring after him in amazement. She hadn't been able to believe what he had just said. Had he honestly suggested that they take time and effort to make their marriage work for the sake of others? That didn't seem to fit the bloodthirsty, invading demon image that Kikyo had painted so well. Was it possible there was more to him than what she had seen so far?

That was the first time that the thought had occurred to her, but it certainly wasn't the last. Over their next four meetings, several comments that Inuyasha had made had given her pause. She had found herself paying strict attention to both what he said and how he said it, looking for more insight into his true character. She was sure she was in for another hour of the same as she headed towards their fifth meeting in as many nights.

As Kagome entered the small parlor they had agreed on (it being neutral ground), she stole a quick glance around the room. She was both relieved and worried to note that she was the first to arrive. It meant that while she didn't have to face Inuyasha immediately, she had plenty of time to work up a nice case of nerves for when she did see him. She couldn't decide whether she preferred the suspense to walking in on his golden-eyed scrutiny, since neither option was particularly appealing to her.

Crossing the room as quickly as she could, Kagome assumed her usual seat in the chair on the left of the fireplace and closest to the door. Her rational side reminded her that the extra couple of feet wouldn't do her any good if, for whatever reason, she decided to make a run for it. With Inuyasha's inhuman reflexes, he could catch her before she made it to the door with extreme ease. Nonetheless, she always headed for the same seat when the choice was hers. It was a small, irrational comfort that she couldn't force herself to forgo.

Settling in, Kagome tucked her skirt tightly under her legs. Once the fabric was pulled taut and wrinkle free across her knees, she had nothing left to do but wait. She looked at the fire, the floor, the shadows on the wall, and then down at her fingers. She had just begun counting the stones in the wall opposite her when the door opened and Inuyasha entered the room.

Kagome swallowed, ducking her head to delay having to meet his eyes for a few more seconds. Her ears zeroed in on the whisper of sound his bare feet made while crossing the stone floor. She didn't look up until she heard him sit down in his own chair.

The instant she did, her eyes were caught and trapped by his. A flush began working its way into her cheeks as she realized that he was staring at her. Clearing her throat in embarrassment, she struggled to form a coherent sentence.

"Good evening."

Inuyasha huffed.

She tried again. "Did you have a good day?"

Silence.

Kagome struggled to contain her frustration. It was like that every night. She would make several attempts at small talk and he would reply with grunts and one words answers until something struck him enough to comment. The long silences had grated on her nerves the first night and had only gotten worse as the week went on. Since starting the conversations was always left to her, she had taken to making mental lists of amusing and entertaining ideas that might peak his interest into replying.

She told it self it was her way of helping to keep the conversation away from unsafe topics, but if she were brutally honest, that was only half of it. The truth be told, once he began contributing instead of sitting like a lump, Inuyasha was actually an acceptable companion for the hour.

Unfortunately, knowing that just made his habitual taciturn openings even more annoying to her. The meetings had been his idea in the first place and he had proven that he was capable of being at least semi-social, but he still refused to jump right into it. She had come to the conclusion that there was just some quirk in his personality that wouldn't allow him to be nice until he got some of his obnoxiousness out of his system first.

Forcing herself to remain calm and wait out the trying part, she began speaking as though he had bothered to give her a response. "I saw your brother around the courtyard earlier. Has he mentioned how long he'll be staying?" She paused to allow him time to speak but he merely resettled himself in the chair. "It's kind of odd, isn't it, that he's stayed so long when it's obvious that he doesn't care for this place."

Noting that there was no reaction, Kagome decided it was time to bring out the big guns. Furrowing her brow and raising one finger to tap against her cheek, she affected her best curious-and-slightly confused look. "I wonder where it is that he goes when he disappears everyday?"

If she hadn't been watching him so closely she would have missed the flicker of his eyebrow as she relayed her bit of news. A devilish spurt of glee filled her at the knowledge that she had information that he didn't. Settling deeper into the cushions, Kagome eyed him blandly and waited for him to make the next move. It was time for him to learn that two could play the silent game.

Long minutes passed with the only sound coming from the crackling fire. She looked at him. He looked back. More time elapsed.

Kagome opened her mouth as though preparing to speak and Inuyasha leaned forward. She was hard pressed to contain a giggle at his grunt of disgust as she turned the action into a delicate yawn.The game continued.

If she had been paying closer attention to her emotions, it might have worried Kagome to note just how relaxed she had become in his presence. Although she was far from completely at ease, no longer did she feel the intense worry and fear guiding her actions as they once had. Their relationship had changed until she almost felt like they were . . .friends.

"He goes somewhere everyday?"

Inuyasha's voice was so unexpected that Kagome actually jumped at the sound of it. As she quickly regained her composure, she toyed with the idea of putting off answering him. In the end, self-preservation won out over spite and she told him what she'd noticed.

"Uh-huh. It's a little confusing because he always goes in the same direction, but he's gone at a different time each day this week. I haven't been able to come up with any reasons why he'd be doing that. Do you have any idea?"

A short shake of his head answered her question and sent his bangs tumbling over his forehead. Combined with his thoughtful expression and the soft firelight, Inuyasha looked boyishly adorable. The ears topping his head twitched, drawing her eyes to them. She wondered idly if they were as velvety as they looked. If he were sitting a little closer, she could reach up and tweak one to find out.

'Where did that come from?!' Kagome asked herself, startled at her wayward thoughts. Fighting to push them from her mind, she rashly blurted out the next question that popped into her head. "You and Sesshomaru don't get along very well, do you?"

Inuyasha immediately tensed and she feared that she had crossed some invisible line. But, much to her relief, he soon relaxed. Even then, his answer was a while in coming. "No, we don't."

Getting the impression that it was something of a sensitive subject, Kagome hesitated before pressing the issue. But her curiosity was too great to let it go and the fact that he had answered her first question encouraged her. "May I ask why?"

There was another pause as he apparently debated with himself. In the end, he must have decided to tell her. "He's never forgiven me for being born." At her startled look, he explained further. "We're only half brothers: same father, different mothers. I don't think he ever got over my mom coming along."

"Oh. Well, I guess it's understandable. The whole 'replacement' issue can be a big deal. If he saw your mother as taking his mother's place with your father, then I can see how he might resent you, too."

He gave her a look that was equal parts defensive and pitying, the latter clearly directed at her. "It wasn't so much that she was his second wife; it was that she was his second, _human_ wife."

Kagome frowned. "I can't imagine that something like that could cause big problems. Different mom and half human or not, you're still family."

Inuyasha scoffed at her logic. "You don't know Sesshomaru. A day hasn't gone by in my life when he didn't try to make me feel inferior because of my human blood. 'Big problems' is a mild way to describe the fights we got into. If they weren't bad, I wouldn't have had to go as far as to marry you to resolve them."

"Excuse me? What do you mean 'this far to resolve them'?" She pieced everything together before he had a chance to respond. Kagome stared at him, jaw agape as she struggled to wrap her mind around his unintentional revelation. "You're telling me that you . . .you _invaded _our village, threatened _war_, and _overthrew_ the rulers just because you and your brother can't learn to get along?"

Inuyasha just looked at her, the only emotion on his face slight confusion. "'Overthrew the rulers' is a funny way to talk about your own family."

She struggled momentarily, torn between dismay at her slip and amazement that that was the only thing he found odd about the whole statement. Finally managing to gather a few of her wits, she went with the first excuse that popped into her head. "I . . .I was trying to keep it impersonal to avoid being bias, but even so, that's just so wrong!"

The expression he wore could only be described as clueless. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that there had to be other options that precluded invading someone else's home! You could have talked it out or at least come to some kind of an agreement about staying out of each other's way!"

Inuyasha jumped to his feet. "You have no idea what you're talking about! There wasn't really an invasion, and even if there had been, it would have been justified. We offered a peaceful solution. It was your decision to say no for so long that it forced us to use other methods.

"And for your information, you have no idea about how much damage a fight between my brother and I can cause. You told me yourself that I was the first demon you ever saw so you can hardly declare yourself an expert on the matter. Whatever you imagine one of our battles to be like is probably not even one tenth of what they actually are. It was safer for everyone, not just easier for me, that everything happened this way." He glared at her as he delivered another stinging comment before storming from the room. "As if anyone could call living with you easy!"

She had to give him credit; he didn't quite slam the door.

Kagome knew she should have been afraid at his display of temper. She should have been worried that he'd caught her slip of the tongue. She should have been plotting ways to fix what she had unintentionally screwed up. But as the minutes passed by, she remained in her seat. Her mind replayed Inuyasha's final words, focusing on the meaning behind them.

For all his bluster over her not understanding, She was certain she had heard more than he had meant to say. He had all but admitted to agreeing to (if not seeking out) the solution that was best for the people as a whole rather than the one that was good for only him. That spoke of a reasonable person capable and willing to put others before himself.

As she finally made her way back to her room, there was a soft smile hovering on Kagome's lips. Inuyasha didn't know it, but he should have been paying closer attention to the things he was letting slip. The information she was learning about him was in danger of making him seem almost . . .nice.


	12. Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
By** _Lady of the Ink  
_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes._**General Reminder:**All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

**_._**

**_._**

**Chapter Twelve**

_Hit Me With Your Best Shot_

**_._**

"I'm leaving."

The words were simple but the meaning behind them was much more complex. Inuyasha caught the faint derision underlying his brother's tone with the ease of long experience. He was amazed that Sesshomaru had lasted for as long as he had given his distaste for all things human.

As the imperial, white-garbed form moved off across the courtyard without another word, Inuyasha thought back to what Kikyo had said the night before. If there was something that had managed to interest his half brother, he had no clue what it could be. He wasn't even sure that he wanted to know. But he was sure that, whatever it was, better it than him. Having been on the receiving end of his brother's attention many times as a child, he knew it was something to be avoided at all costs . . .and he had the scars to prove it.

Now that Sesshomaru had finally decided to remove himself, Inuyasha could focus his full attention on his remaining problems. Surprisingly enough, they weren't as big or as numerous as they might have been. The humans in the village were dealing well with the change of rulers and had seemed happy with the improvements he had already implemented. There had been a few rumblings of discord early on, but they had quieted once they accepted that he was going to be firm but fair.

The other "problem" had also improved recently, as well. As much as he hated to admit it, taking the priest's advice had actually been helpful. Although it still felt strange to talk with her, the nightly meetings with Kikyo had definitely changed their relationship.

His knew knowledge wasn't limited to what he learned in the parlor, though. He also found himself watching her go through her usual routine. The past days had allowed him to see her thoughtful when she was trying to help one of the maids find a misplaced bauble. He'd seen her playful as she romped with Shippo in one of the castle's several gardens. He had seen her pleased as she praised the man who had built Shippo's bed and stern when she refereed a small dispute between a few of the servants' children.

But he'd been the only one to make her laugh . . .

It had happened earlier that very morning as she worked to get the brat and herself ready for their walk. He had been walking past her room, completely by chance, of course, when the door suddenly flew open. A reddish brown blur hurtled toward him, shrieking when the inevitable collision occurred. Shippo might have been a fourth of his size, but the smaller demon managed to catch him mid-step and off balance. The end result left both of them on the floor with Shippo dangling upside down by a handful of Inuyasha's hair.

Inuyasha had been all set to let the kitsune have it when a sound from the still open doorway caught his attention. Kikyo stood there, one pale, slim hand pressed tightly to her mouth in a futile attempt to stifle her laughter. Whatever expression was on his face seemed to push her beyond her control. A giggle broke from her throat and her brown eyes contained a decided twinkle. As her humor escalated, she dropped her hands to her sides, revealing flushed cheeks and a wide smile. Just memory of her face in that exact moment was enough to cause him to slow his steps.

"My experience has taught me that the look you're wearing always comes at the hands of a woman, one way or another." The cultured voice originating from his elbow brought Inuyasha's focus back to his surroundings. A small turn of his head revealed Miroku standing beside him, his hands forming a steeple under his chin. When he saw that he had the hanyou's attention, he lifted one eyebrow. "Would I be correct in assuming that it was doing of the fair Lady Kikyo?"

Inuyasha uttered an unintelligible grunt while wiping any and all expression from his face. The unexpected reactions he was having to his wife were still so new and uncomfortable that the last thing he wanted to do was broadcast them to the world. If the priest was able to recognize them, then others might be able to as well.

He lengthened his strides in the hopes that Miroku would take the hint. The other man merely matched his steps, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked. Apparently oblivious to his companion's darkening mood, the dark-haired man blithely pressed the matter. "So where is your lovely wife this morning? I haven't seen her around."

"She's out."

The minimalist reply didn't seem to faze the black-garbed priest. "I certainly hope she didn't go far. It would be a shame to be robbed of her presence for too long."

Inuyasha had to bite back a growl at the subtle insinuation in that comment. He settled for a sharp tone he hoped would speed his escape from the unwelcome questions and comments. "She went on a picnic in the North woods with the runt."

Miroku's mouth paused, but unfortunately for Inuyasha, it was only for a moment. "Are you sure it was wise to let her go that far away with no guard other than Shippo?"

Inuyasha was staring him down in less than two seconds. "Are you implying that she's up to something?" he snapped, remembering that that very concern had been raised during their last conversation. It didn't matter that he once thought something similar; what mattered was making sure the priest knew his place, and that was not to question his wife's integrity.

Miroku hastened to correct him. "I was referring to Lady Kikyo's safety, actually, not possible ulterior motives." A look that was thoughtful bordering on sly crossed his features. "I'm assuming from your outburst that you've given up at least a few of your doubts about your wife."

Inuyasha did growl then, but it was directed toward himself rather than Miroku. He was annoyed with himself for the reaction he hadn't been able to control. He was surprised at the degree of his response, but not that something concerning his wife had inspired it.

The anger that had flashed through him was as unexpected as every other emotion Kikyo managed to raise in him. He wasn't sure when or even why, but sometime over the past five days, he had begun to trust her more and more. It might have had something to do with their increasingly easy conversations or simply the sight of her smiling face. He wasn't sure exactly what it was that drew him to her, and he wasn't sure that he really wanted to know. Such a revelation might challenge many of the things that he thought he knew about himself.

Anxious to get back onto safer ground, he ignored Miroku's last comment and backpedaled to an earlier one. "Why wouldn't I let Kikyo go alone? It's not like there's anything that could happen to her around here."

If he noticed the sidestep, Miroku was wise enough not to mention it. After only the merest pause, he, too, switched back to the older topic. "I know that when compared to the trials of the Western Lands, this village may seem safe. But you should keep in mind that the things you deem hardly worth noticing could be quite dangerous to those of less . . .robust fortitudes than yourself.

"I personally wouldn't dream of letting someone as . . .tempting as Kikyo venture out alone. And by tempting," he hurried to explain after one look at Inuyasha's face, "I mean as a target to those of a less virtuous nature than myself."

Inuyasha scoffed at the obvious cover. He was beginning to form an idea of why the holy man hadn't taken up permanent residence somewhere else. He'd probably been run out of each town as soon as their husbands and fathers saw his manner with the women of the area.

"I would give thought to finding a bodyguard for her," Miroku continued. "You can never be too careful. In fact, this is something that I feel so strongly about that I'd like to volunteer myself for the task."

Stunned by the sheer audacity of the man, Inuyasha didn't know whether to laugh or yell. The conflict resulted in a sound that was a combination of the two. It didn't matter, as Miroku just gave him a firm whack between the shoulder blades and continued making his case.

"After all, who better to oversee the all too important physical well-being of an - based on your temperament, almost assuredly still - innocent maiden than a man of the cloth?" He laid a hand over his heart, the earnest and sincere expression he wore belying his words from just moments before.

He was saved from Inuyasha's immediate, and in his opinion, more than a just a little deserved, retribution when the hanyou caught a flash of movement heading their way. He barely had time to recognize Shippo before the kitsune slammed into him full force. Amidst heavy breaths and vague gestures, he was trying to say something.

His senses kicking into overdrive, Inuyasha knelt beside the smaller demon. As he focused his full attention on the stammered words, he managed to make out a few of them. " . . .someone . . .bushes . . .Kikyo . . .get help . . .quick!"

If the message hadn't been enough to push him into action, the scent that trailed after Shippo would have done the trick. Though it was faint from distance and half-hidden by other smells, Inuyasha's sensitive nose picked it out and identified it immediately.

Blood.

Human blood.

**x**

Sesshomaru had decided quite suddenly that it was time to bring his visit to an end. It could have been because he was tired of being surrounded by the scent and sight of so many humans. It could have been because he had had enough of dealing with his inferior half brother. It could have been because he had fulfilled his obligation to his father and was therefore free to leave. It could have been because he had responsibilities at home that required his attention.

But it wasn't for any of those reasons that he was making his way back to the Western Lands.

The truth of the matter was that he had met an obstacle in the smooth path that he chose to follow in life. Something had caught his attention, a feat that was not so easily accomplished. From the first day that he had stepped into the meadow, the mystery of its daily visitor had occupied a portion of his mind almost nonstop.

It was a situation not to be tolerated.

He was the next Lord of the Western Lands, one of the highest-ranking demons ever to have lived. He could not - _would not_ - allow himself to be distracted by the oddities of a human that he had never even laid eyes on. So he was removing himself from the annoyance - by no means would he acknowledge it as a temptation - by the quickest route available.

And if that route just so happened to wind its way past the clearing . . .well, that wasn't his doing.

Sesshomaru continued telling himself that even as he maneuvered around trees and bushes that had become almost familiar over the last days. He stopped only when he arrived at his destination. Not that he had headed there deliberately, of course. It was just on the way.

His chin lifted slightly as he drew in a deep breath. His heightened sense of smell quickly separated all the scents, picking out the one he was most interested in. It was old, telling him that the girl had yet to stop by that day. It was the first time he had arrived before her, and the situation began a mental war in his head.

On one hand, he could remain where he was until the human came, which would assuage his curiosity and allow him to remove her from his mind. But doing that would acknowledge that he _had_ been curious, which was surely a sign of weakness in one such as him. He shouldn't care one way or another if he ever saw her. She was human and thus beneath his notice. Just because there seemed to be something . . ._different_ about her didn't change that.

He was still debating when a sound from behind him caught his attention. He turned, but not quickly enough. In the moment before a blinding mist surrounded him, he caught a flash of dark hair and a body clad in armor. Sesshomaru, knowing that his eyes were useless for the moment, tried to rely on his other senses. It took only one breath for him to know that his enemy was more cunning than he had thought. A heavy scent erupted on the air, blocking out any useful information and making him almost dizzy with its overpowering intensity.

A stinging sensation struck his neck, not really hurting but painful enough for him to be aware of it. His hand slid to the wound, finding several small darts still stuck in his skin. Since they obviously couldn't have been meant to injure him that left only one possible purpose. Poison.

His guess was confirmed when a prickling burn began spreading from the spot. The dizziness became worse almost immediately, telling him that his attacker had taken no chances, using an extremely strong mixture. As he began to go numb, Sesshomaru summoned all the energy he could. He might not have been able to see or smell anything, but that alone would not be enough to make him go down without a fight.

Just as he felt the full force of the poison taking effect, he released the energy he had gathered in a wide arc. He felt the power of it sparking on the very air and took a small measure of satisfaction from knowing that no matter where the unseen enemy had been standing at that moment, it should have hit them.

Then the world faded to black.


	13. Ready to Run

Title: Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

**General Reminder: **All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV.

**.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Ready To Run**

**.**

The marketplace was overflowing with people buying and selling any number of wares. Booths for cloth, food, metal works, and pottery sat side by side, their venders waging a battle with shouting voices and enticing displays. With so much going on in all directions, it was easy to miss the less exciting things. Though dozens upon dozens of shoppers made their way down the crowded street, few even noticed the two figures standing in the shadows of a building.

"Is it done?" The feminine voice was low-pitched in deference to the stream of humanity a scant foot away, but still managed to exude superiority and vague disdain.

"It is," came the reply, its speaker lounging comfortably against the wall, body still but eyes ever watchful. "Everything went according to plan. The demon slayer found the clues, just as she was meant to."

"She did not question that they belonged to him?"

"Of course she did. She would not be as dangerous a warrior as she is if she accepted all things to be what they appeared to be at first glance. But when she had the word of a witness to confirm her guess, there was no room left for further doubt." His voice changed from one sentence to the next, becoming slightly higher and cracked with age. "The awful dog demon who had boasted of his victory over a great demon exterminator and spoke of plans for further conquests could be no other than Inuyasha."

Kikyo laughed. "Excellent work. Sango is sure to be on her way to him even now. The blood of her brother shall accomplish nicely what money could not."

"Yes . . .the boy. He barely put up a fight. It was no wonder she always left him behind when it was time for her to go hunting."

"So what did you do with his body?" The question was uttered in an offhand manner, proving its speaker cared little for the answer.

"Oh, I took care of it." The man's chuckle was filled with such evil that the flow of market goers unconsciously gave him wider berth. "Trust me when I say it was put to the best use possible."

Kikyo shrugged, not bothering to wonder what he meant by his statement. Although it was useful for her to ally herself with him for the moment as they worked toward the same goal, it didn't make them equals. She was and always would be above him and all others of his kind. Once she regained her proper place, she would see to it that she never had to deal with another one again.

"Since that's all the business we have for the moment," she stated coldly, shifting her body out of the shadows, "I'll be going now. I'll contact you when it's time for the next stage." Kikyo pulled the edges of her plain cloak together, using the high collar to shield her face. Not for anything would she risk anyone recognizing her in such common apparel. It was bad enough that she was forced to subject herself to the vulgarity of such a low setting for the sake of secrecy; any further insults to her dignity and standing would simply be too much.

Without another word to her partner in crime, she let herself merge with the ocean of bodies heading away from the center of town. She didn't really care for the man, him being what he was, but she had wanted the best, and from all accounts, that's exactly what she had gotten. Word had it that for a price, there was no one better at accomplishing what needed to be done than Naraku.

**x**

Inuyasha was off and running the instant that Shippo's words penetrated his brain. He shouted terse instructions at Miroku as he went, hoping that the priest would remember his duty, both as a man of the cloth and as someone whose wage was paid for by him, and obey without question. Shippo, exhausted from his run, continued trying to catch his breath.

Trees sped by in a green blur as he dodged over and around them at an amazing speed. His full attention was locked on the ribbon of scent that Shippo had left behind.

Well, almost his full attention.

A small part of him insisted on seeking Kikyo's scent amongst all the others. That same part replayed everything he had ever noticed about her, from the slight curl at the end of her hair to the way she chewed on her lower lip when she was worried or afraid. But the worst images out of all the ones flitting through his mind were the ones that involved what he might find when he reached her. Inuyasha had been in his share of battles over the years, so he knew first hand the long list of things that could be done to a weaker victim.

Was she scared? Crying? Hurt? Or something even worse? Pure rage shot through Inuyasha as he thought about anyone laying a hand on Kikyo. When he got a hold of them, he was going to rip them to pieces, one limb at a time. His rage at the thought of someone hurting Kikyo and the anticipation of making them regret it to their dying breaths allowed him to run even faster.

He was moving so quickly that he hit the end of Shippo's trail and almost kept going. Coming to a sliding stop in the thick underbrush, he began surveying the area through keen eyesight made even more so through something that felt almost like . . .fear.

Even then, he heard her before he saw her. The sound of her voice drifted to his ears, causing the appendages to swivel toward it. He had to focus to make out her words, made soft by tone rather than distance.

"You're going to be okay . . .just hold on . . .everything will be alright. I promise."

Inuyasha soon found her on her knees beside an unmoving pile of something. His eyes immediately zeroed in on the blood staining her hands and the front of her dress. Following the trail of crimson liquid, he noticed a large tear in the skirt of her gown. Anger flared anew and he cracked his knuckles, ready and looking for a fight.

"He's hurt really badly, Inuyasha."

The tearful quality to Kikyo's voice affected him so much that it took a moment for her words to fully register. When they did, his eyes flew first to her face, then to the ground beside her. What he had dismissed as a pile of rags or underbrush turned out to be a young human boy, not many years younger than Kikyo herself.

One glance was all it took to see that he was the source of the blood, not Kikyo. A wave of relief so intense that it weakened his knees rushed through him. Covering his reaction by kneeling at her side, Inuyasha took a closer look at the boy. His wounds were many and serious, affecting almost his entire body. A few of them had been bandaged roughly with a familiar looking cloth - 'The tear in her dress,' he thought- while still others continued to bleed freely.

It was instantly clear to Inuyasha that without immediate medical attention, the boy would surely die. As he watched Kikyo smooth back a strand of bloody hair from his face, he knew he couldn't let that happen. While he was used to such things from a life lived less than peacefully at times, she was not. He could tell from her subtle actions that she felt a bond with the victim, though exactly what kind he couldn't guess. It was obvious that, despite the fact that she didn't know him, if the boy didn't pull through, she would be devastated.

With a resigned sigh, Inuyasha scooped the battered body carefully into his arms, ignoring Kikyo's startled gasp. It wasn't a good sign that the boy made no sound as he did so; it showed that he was beyond feeling the pain that such an action must surely have caused.

"We'll have to hurry if he's going to make it." Pausing only long enough to make sure that she'd heard him, Inuyasha turned to head back the way he had come. While his eyes were trained straight ahead, his ears were straining to make out Kikyo's movements behind him.

She remained still for the space of three heartbeats after his announcement and then climbed to her feet. There was a rustling noise followed by the pattering sound of slippers on the fallen leaves that covered the forest floor. As Kikyo caught up to him, he saw the cause of the rustling in the picnic basket swinging from her arm. He guessed she must have dropped it when she and Shippo stumbled onto the boy. The fact that she had remembered to retrieve it showed him that she was calmer than he had given her credit for. He felt almost proud that she was handling the situation so well, without collapsing into a sobbing and useless heap.

"What do you think happened to him?" she asked, her voice a bit breathless from the ordeal and the effort of keeping up with his long strides. "Did someone attack him? Was there a fight?"

Inuyasha shrugged, not wanting to trouble her with the truth of what he had noticed. There was no sign of a struggle in the area the boy had fallen. While that in itself meant little more than that the actual fight had occurred elsewhere, the complete lack of a blood trail leading to the spot told a darker tale.

The boy had been attacked somewhere else by someone much stronger than himself. The large number of wounds on his arms made it clear he had spent most of the fight trying to defend himself rather than attacking. His opponent had apparently done most of the damage once the boy was unconscious, an underhanded act that went against everything Inuyasha had been taught about fairness even in battle. Then that person had deliberately moved him to the secluded wood where few humans dared to venture. It was pure chance that Shippo and Kikyo had come upon him, something he'd bet hadn't been in the plan.

The boy had been left to die.

"K-Kikyo!" The voice came from nearby, drawing Inuyasha's attention away from his thoughts. He was surprised to notice that they had made it back to the castle while he had been lost in his conclusions. They were almost to the courtyard now, and he was relieved to note that Miroku had actually followed his instructions.

Kaede stood at his side; it had been her voice calling out as they approached. She held a small basket in her hands. Judging by the quiet clank of glass bottles and the strips of linen hanging over the edges, he guessed it contained medical supplies.

"Kaede, he needs help right away." Kikyo's voice clearly told of her continued anxiety. It was pitched slightly higher than usual and had a fine tremble running through it. Her eyes remained locked on the injured boy's face and so she missed the intense look of relief that flooded across her aunt's face, but Inuyasha didn't. He knew that she must have been thinking the same thing that he had upon first hearing Shippo's cries, felt the same spurt of worry that he had. It was the same reaction anyone would have when danger got too close to some they . . .

He took a mental leap away from that thought, unwilling to look at it too closely. Instead he concentrated on the boy in his arms, forming a list of things that would have to be done. Kikyo and Kaede could handle his physical well being, tending to his wounds and anything else that he might need. He was sure they would see to it that someone remained by his side, and thus would be there to hear anything he might say that could be a clue to his identity.

He, on the other hand, planned to follow a different path: the one leading up to the forest. Whoever had dumped the kid had been careful about not leaving evidence behind. But even so, Inuyasha wanted to see if there might be something his demon senses could pick up on. He was hoping that a thorough search would turn up some hint about who the boy was or why he had been attacked and left there.

The actions were too planned, too methodical to simply be a coincidence. They had wanted the boy to be in that spot enough to move him there after he was already gravely injured, and Inuyasha was determined to find what reason they had for doing so.


	14. Two Steps Behind

Title: Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

**General Reminder:**

_**All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV.**_

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**Chapter Fourteen**

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Two Steps Behind

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For Kagome, it was a day she'd never likely forget. The trauma of literally stumbling over a seriously injured boy in the woods had made a strong impression on her mind. His youth and slight resemblance to her brother made that impression even stronger. In the short amount of time between Shippo's departure to seek help and Inuyasha's arrival to deliver it, she had connected him to Souta, and thus his condition was of extreme importance to her.

She knew that it wasn't wise to care so much. The first good reason was that if someone questioned her concern, she couldn't give them an honest answer. Kikyo had no brother, and therefore wouldn't be drawn to someone who was of a similar age and build. The second reason was the sheer number and severity of the wounds he had suffered. She had had the opportunity to get a close look while she was alone with him and what she had seen shook her to the core. Even as she made an attempt at stemming the flow of blood, she knew he might already be a lost cause.

Following Inuyasha as he carried his burden back to the castle, she found it hard to keep her questions to herself. The hanyou's short replies helped, and they finished the trip in silence. When Kaede called out a greeting, Kagome switched her attention to the older woman, knowing she was the one who would be taking over. She was proved right in that guess by the healer's first words.

"Bring the boy this way. I have a place ready for him." Kaede's voice was calm and level, and helped Kagome to gather herself. She had been rattled from the moment she had realized it was a body she had tripped on in the woods, and the feeling was only just beginning to abate. Necessity had allowed her a certain level of calmness, but now that the shock was fading, so was her composure. Her hands began to shake, causing her to bundle them in the folds of her already ruined skirt before anyone saw.

She trailed after Inuyasha and Kaede, barely noticing that Shippo and the priest Miroku followed on her heels. All of her attention remained focused on the boy in the hanyou's arms. She needed to know that he was going to be all right.

The room they entered was on the small side, the shelf-lined walls filled with glass jars marking it as an infirmary. With Kaede, Inuyasha, and Kagome inside, it was filled almost to overflowing, prompting Miroku and Shippo to remain in the hall. Kaede motioned to the cot pushed into one corner, obviously wanting Inuyasha to place the boy there. Once that was done, he turned to the two women.

"Do the best you can with him. I'm going to see if I can find some clues about who he is and what happened to him." With a curt nod, he stepped out of the room. Kagome heard the low murmur of voices and assumed he was making his plans known to the others. The sound of their conversation faded as they moved down the corridor.

Turning to Kaede, she found the woman already at work. She had removed the boy's tattered shirt in order to better see his wounds. The deliberateness behind her actions was reassuring, speaking of long practice at just such a task. Kagome knew the boy was in good hands, and that knowledge finally allowed her to take a deep breath.

"What can I do to help?" she asked, hoping that there was something she could do. Merely standing around was giving her far too much time to think of all the complications that could set in, even with the best of care. Luckily for her peace of mind, Kaede had a request. Or rather, a whole list of requests.

"Find a maid and have her bring some hot water here as quickly as possible. Then have someone fetch some loose, lightweight clothing that will fit him. What he's wearing will have to be thrown out. We'll also need some blankets and more bandages. Can you handle all that?"

"Easily. I'll be right back."

Kagome hurried into the deserted stretch of hallway and then stopped as she fought to remember exactly where she needed to go. Kaede had taken her on long tours around the building under the guise of exercise, but now everything that she had learned seemed to vanish from her mind. Taking her best guess, she turned to the left, hoping she had chosen correctly.

Luck seemed to be on her side when she saw a young girl walking ahead of her. From the rag in her hand, she had apparently been dusting in one of the rooms in that wing. Wasting no time in catching up with her, Kagome quickly relayed the list of items Kaede required. The girl took one look at her nearly shredded and blood dappled skirt and hurried to obey. As soon as the girl was out of sight, Kagome retraced her steps back to the little room.

In just the few moments that she was gone, Kaede had made a lot of progress. The boy's bloody and ruined clothes lay in a heap near the door and a thin sheet covered him from the waist down. A small table had been moved to sit right beside the cot, holding a variety of herbs, containers of salve, and a small stack of towels. As she watched, Kaede was carefully removing her makeshift bandages to assess all the injuries.

"Hmm," she murmured under her breath, her brow furrowing as she eyed a particularly bad patch of cuts on his side.

"What? What is it?" Kagome asked, moving closer to see if she could spot what had caught her attention. She winced at the sight of four long, deep gashes stretching for several inches. The odd thing about them became clear when she noticed how evenly spaced they seemed. Kaede moved, twisting her hand so that her fingers lined up with the beginnings of the cuts. It was almost a perfect match.

Kagome shot a questioning look at Kaede. "What . . .what does that mean?"

Kaede sighed. "I'm by no means an expert on the matter, but I'd say that he was attacked by a demon. If they were in human form, their claws would be exactly what it took to cause these sorts of injuries."

Kagome stared at her. "But . . .there aren't any demons around here. I mean, the only ones to set foot in this area for more than a hundred years are Inuyasha, his brother, and Shippo, and I don't think that any of them would have done something like this. Well, Inuyasha and Shippo wouldn't. Sesshomaru on the other hand . . ."

She paused there, interrupted by the entrance of the maid from the hall. Ducking a quick curtsy, the girl stepped forward. There was a small bucket hanging from her arm, the steam drifting lazily from the surface marking it as the hot water. She also had a wad of bandages under one arm, and a stack of clothing under the other. Setting everything down, she cast a look at the boy, quickly averting her eyes when she took notice of all the blood.

"I'll be right back with the blankets," she said even as she darted back out the door.

The supplies signaled the beginning of the real work, and Kagome was determined to help. As Kaede began cleaning and bandaging the wounds on his legs, Kagome started with his head. Pouring a small amount of hot water into a present basin of cool water, she grabbed a rag and set to work.

After dropping it into the basin and allowing it to get soaked, she withdrew the square of linen and wrung the extra water from it. She gently dabbed the boy's forehead with the damp cloth, carefully removing the dirt and dried blood. She bit her lower lip as she carefully avoided the still open wounds for the moment, not wanting to cause him any more pain.

Her concentration was so fierce that it took a minute for her to realize that the maid had returned with the requested blankets. She saw the woman glance down at the injured boy as a frown creased her features. It could have been because he looked much different now that the worst of the blood and dirt had been washed from his face, or it could have been because of something else. Her sense of hope flaring, Kagome jumped to her feet. "What is it? Do you recognize him?" She clasped her hands in front of her, waiting anxiously for the answer.

It was disappointing when it came as a swift shake of the maid's head. "Oh, no, milady. I've never seen him before. It's just . . ." She trailed off, looking unsure of whether she wanted to continue. Kagome's pleading expression must have decided for her, as she sighed and began to explain. "I'm not sure if this is important, but I think it might be. My family owns the inn at the north side of the village, and I went to visit them last night. It was my night off, I swear it!" she added, sounding frightened that she was going to be scolded. "Anyway, I was helping out with serving supper and there was a woman there. She was a stranger, which is rare enough these days, but she was asking a lot of questions."

"What kind of questions?" Kaede asked, obviously as interested in what the girl had to say as Kagome.

"Well, at first she spoke of a boy, her brother, I think she said, who was missing from their home. The description she gave of him, well, it sounded a lot like this boy."

Kagome looked at Kaede, and the older woman looked back. Was it possible that the mystery woman really was the boy's sister? If so, it would certainly be helpful in getting him back to where he belonged. The rest of the girl's words sank in then, along with her troubled expression. Stepping forward, Kagome met her eyes. "You said she talked about her brother 'at first'. What did you mean? Did she say something else afterward?"

"It was kind of odd, is all. She started asking questions about the new lord. When she found out I worked here, she seemed kind of excited, but not in a happy way. She wanted to know exactly what he looked like, where he spent his time, things like that. I think she asked if he'd left for a while and then come back, like he'd gone on a trip. That's all I remember. If I'd known it was important, I would have paid more attention."

Kagome froze, not really catching the apology as her mind went spinning. Pieces of information came back to her, fitting themselves together so quickly she could barely keep up. The boy in the woods with wounds that looked like they'd been caused by a human-ish demon. The girl in the inn asking about her missing brother and then seeking information on the new lord, who just so happened to be a human-ish demon. Was it possible that it meant what she thought it did?

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"I'm going to see if I can find some clues about who he is and what happened to him."

At that very moment, Inuyasha was heading back to the place where they'd found the boy. If the woman in the village really was his sister and she'd managed to track him this far, she was likely to wind up there as well. With all the questions she had been asking about him, it was pretty clear that Inuyasha was on her list of suspects as to her brother's kidnapper. If she came upon him in the spot that was still dripping with the boy's blood . . .

Without a word, Kagome turned on her heel. Ignoring Kaede's questions and the maid's startled yelp, she raced through the door and back into the courtyard. As she reached the high wall that was the last barrier before the forest, she saw a group of huntsman returning from their expedition. The one nearest her had a bow slung over his shoulder and a quiver of arrows in his hand.

Without breaking stride, she snatched them away from him amidst his startled yells. She didn't know what she planned to do with them, but having weapons she couldn't use still seemed better than going in empty-handed and completely defenseless. Yanking her skirt up so that she could run faster, she made her way back to the forest with only one thought in her mind.

"Please, don't let me be too late!"


	15. What Am I Supposed To Do

Title: Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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General Reminder:

_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

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Chapter Fifteen

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What Am I Supposed To Do

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Sango watched emotionlessly as her target crumpled to the ground. There was the slight thump of his impact against the earth before silence filled the clearing once more. Even so, she remained in a battle stance, silently counting the seconds as they passed. She hadn't survived as long as she had in her line of work by making rash assumptions about the enemy's condition. Doing that could leave her vulnerable to a surprise attack and if there had ever been an enemy she didn't want to risk underestimating, it was the one she was currently facing.

When enough time had passed that she was reasonably sure it was safe to move, Sango rose into a standing position. Squinting to see through the vision-obscuring mist she had caused, she kept a close eye on the inert form in front of her as she began closing the distance between them. The vapor had cleared enough by the time she reached his side that she was able to remove the metal mask covering the lower portion of her face. Although the smell was still strong, even to her human senses, it was nothing she couldn't handle.

She stilled as she stared down at the focus of her anger and pain. This was the individual responsible for stealing away the most important person in her life. Whether he had simply mistaken Kohaku as the demon exterminator or hadn't cared that he was an innocent didn't matter. He was still responsible, and she was going to make sure that he paid once she got the answers she wanted from him.

Turned on his side as he was, she couldn't see anything beyond the line of his shoulder and the mass of white hair that tumbled over it. She sighed, a feeling of dissatisfaction filling her. In order to remain undetected, she had had to keep enough distance between them that she had never gotten a good look at his face. Even during the brief battle, her attention had been on getting him before he got her, so there hadn't been time to register anything beyond the extreme basics of his appearance.

Sango frowned, acknowledging that she wanted to put a face to her brother's attacker. Dropping to one knee, she allowed her right hand to move to the hilt of the sword strapped to her side. Although the poison on the darts she had hit him with was strong, she wasn't taking any chances. Grasping his shoulder, she tugged him onto his back. As she did so, his hair fell away, revealing his features for the first time and causing her to gasp.

_It was the wrong person!_

The man lying before her bore a crescent moon and several stripes on his face, the markings of a full-blooded demon. His ears, now visible, were slightly pointed but otherwise human. They were definitely not the dog-ears the girl at the inn had described. All those things added up to prove he was not the hanyou she had been looking for. Somehow she had made a mistake and attacked an innocent person.

Jerking her hand away from his shoulder like she'd been burned, Sango sank back onto her heels. Her anger at Inuyasha moved to the back of her mind as she realized what she had almost done. Rubbing a hand over her eyes, she took a moment to thank whatever gods were listening that she had decided to question Inuyasha when she found him. If she had used a fatal amount of poison in the darts, she would have been a murderer. As it was, with enough rest, he should fully recover in a few days.

Her mind went back to the things she learned at the inn. The girl she had spoken with had mentioned a visiting full-blooded demon lord. She had heard that he was Inuyasha's older brother, but since he refused to speak to humans, she hadn't been sure. Based on the quality of his clothing and the amount of power he had managed to throw at her, Sango thought it would be safe to assume she knew the identity of her unintentional victim.

Now the only question was what she should do about it. She didn't have the time or the inclination to wait for him to recover and it would be too risky to take him back to the town. That left her with very few courses of action.

A nudge on her hand pulled Sango from her dilemma. Looking down, she saw Kirara sitting at her side. The small demon had always accompanied her on her trips, and this occasion had been no different. While she had been busy asking questions and following who she thought was her target, Kirara had been scouting the forest for clues. With the exception of their break to sleep, they hadn't seen each other since their arrival at the village. Her return now meant one of only two things.

"Did you finish looking, or did you find . . ."she trailed off, unable to voice her hope or her fear out loud. It would have made the moment too real, and quite probably too much for her to handle.

Kirara moved closer, pushing against her nose across Sango's hand once more, leaving a dark streak behind. Her brow furrowing, Sango brought her hand nearer to her face to examine the mark. It only took a moment for her to recognize the substance and for her entire body to stiffen in response to it.

Blood.

She instantly forgot about the unconscious demon lying in front of her, focusing all her attention on Kirara instead. "K-Kohaku?" she questioned, unable to keep a small quiver from her voice. The years with Kirara at her side had taught Sango to recognize the demon's movements as the answers they were, so it was simple to see the tilt of her head as a "yes". Almost before the action was completed, she was on her feet and ready to go.

"Show me," she ordered, the tremor from before replaced with an unshakable determination. Good or bad, she needed to know what Kirara had found.

The trip around the edge of the village passed in a blur for Sango. In no time at all they were approaching the northern most section of the forest, Kirara leading the way with ease. When the demon stopped beside a tree and sat, Sango knew they'd reached their destination.

The first thing she noticed was the blood. It was impossible to miss, splattered as it was over everything in the area. Droplets of it had landed on the leaves, the thin smears already dried to a brownish shade. A larger pool had collected on the forest floor, glimmering morbidly in the small amount of afternoon light that filtered through the trees.

Sango's knees buckled and she sank to the ground. One hand pressed against her mouth, the other against her stomach as she fought the wave of nausea that burned at the back of her throat. She knew that the blood belonged to Kohaku, and the sheer amount of it didn't bode well. Tears dripped down her cheeks as the realization that she might never see her brother again began to sink in. The future loomed in front of her, empty and meaningless.

She was so wrapped up in her grief that she never heard the approaching footsteps. It took Kirara's sudden appearance at her side to alert her to the intruder. Jumping to her feet, Sango made sure she was downwind and out of sight. Braced against the wide trunk of a tree, she peered through the foliage for her first glimpse of the new arrival.

At first there was only a brief flash of red and white amidst the green. Then she caught sight of a hand pulling branches out of the way just before the person stepped fully into view. The man was garbed in red from head to toe, his outfit made of a rough cloth she was unable to immediately identify. But what really caught her attention were his ears. Furry and white, the appendages sat near the top of his head, blending into his silvery hair.

Sango felt her heart slam in her chest as she stared at him. Her eyes dropped to the large stain coloring the front of his outfit, matching so perfectly the splotches on the surrounding plant life. There was no mistake this time; he was obviously the hanyou she had been searching for. He was covered in blood and returning to the spot where it had been spilled, probably trying to destroy the evidence before someone found it.

Well, she thought to herself, it was too late for that. She had found it, and she knew what it meant. It was unfortunate for Inuyasha that he had chosen this moment to return. He was almost making it too easy.

The despair she had felt upon finding her brother's blood transformed itself into full-blown anger. The only thing in her mind was the need for revenge. Every beat of her heart brought another image of Kohaku struggling against Inuyasha, fighting for his life . . .and losing.

Sango straightened from her hiding place. In one fluid motion smooth from practice, she reached for the massive weapon lying just inches away. Grasping it firmly, she moved it into position and took aim at the hanyou's head.

And Hiraikotsu flew.

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He was beautiful.

That was her first thought when she came upon him laying among the flowers. His long, silvery hair pooled around his head, interspersed with leaves and grass. His clothing, once a pristine white, was now spotted with grass stains and darker, more alarming blotches. Since his eyes were closed, she couldn't see their color, but she had a feeling it would be something other than the common blue or brown to match the other aspects of his distinctive appearance.

It was with some difficulty that Rin forced her attention away from his face. He was, after all, obviously wounded, and his welfare was more important than her curiosity. Kneeling beside him, she checked for signs of life. His breathing was shallow and a bit fast, but nothing to be alarmed about. His heartbeat was strong and steady, indicating that he was simply knocked out rather than gravely injured.

Looking at his head, she found no bumps or bruises to account for his state. Even when she went so far as to run her fingers through his hair, she could find nothing wrong with him. Frowning, she decided a closer look was in order.

As thorough as her examination was, it only took a moment for Rin to come across the darts sticking out of the pale skin of his neck. She carefully pulled one out, wincing at the drop of blood that welled as a result. Warily avoiding the sharp point, she studied it closely. The thin coating near the tip caught her interest. Bringing it to her nose, she took a cautious sniff. The familiar scent confirmed her guess of poison.

She pulled a small cloth from her pocket and spread it out on the grass at her side. Placing the dart in the center, she turned back to the unconscious man. Soon three more darts joined the first. Wrapping them carefully to avoid getting stuck herself, she slid the bundle back into her pocket and stood.

Rin stared down at the man, sighing a bit. She couldn't just leave him alone in the middle of the field. Although his condition wasn't serious as far as she could tell, it wouldn't do anyone any good to be subjected to a night on the cold ground with no blanket. It would be best if she send him back to his home, but since she didn't know where that was, she supposed her home would have to do.

That is, if she could figure out how to move him . . .


	16. Break Me

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
**By _Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

**x**

**General Reminder: **_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

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Chapter Sixteen

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Break Me

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Inuyasha wasn't sure what first alerted him to the fact that he wasn't alone. It could have been the hint of a foreign scent on the air, or a whisper of sound so faint that he felt more than heard it. Whatever it was, his instinctual reaction to duck and dodge quite possibly saved his life. There was a whooshing sound followed by the crashing of trees being battered by something.

He leapt to the side, barely noticing the branches that snapped under his weight. Rolling to his feet, he immediately sank into a battle pose several feet away from his starting point. His sharp eyes scanned the forest as he strove to locate the threat. It didn't take long for him to see the girl. She was making no effort to hide, standing in plain sight with a look of focused anger burning in her eyes.

As he watched, she braced her legs slightly apart as what looked like a giant boomerang found its way back into her hands. Without wasting a single movement, the massive weapon was caught and swung back into throwing position. The sheer speed with which her next assault was accomplished left Inuyasha with barely enough time to get out of its way.

Jumping straight up, he used the branches like launching pads to quickly circle the area. He had no idea who this strange girl was or why she was attacking him. What he _did_ know was that she was a legitimate threat, her speed and skill evident in every move she made. He was going to have to take the fight seriously unless he wanted a piece or two knocked out of him.

That thought was reinforced as the boomerang whistled past him once more. It slammed forcefully into the tree he was standing on. A good two-foot section was reduced to splinters, chunks of wood shooting outward to graze across every inch of exposed skin. The top half of the tree began to fall, knocking Inuyasha off balance. He leapt, but the shifting of the trunk skewed his aim enough that his jump fell short. Leaves slapped his face as the ground rushed up to meet him.

Slamming into the dirt knocked the air out of his lungs, the impact stunning him for a moment. It wasn't long, but it was enough for the girl to make her way to his side. She stared down at him, her features showing a mix of disgust and hatred.

"Inuyasha, now you die." The cold words were accompanied with the raising of her boomerang, proving that it wasn't an idle threat.

Inuyasha knew it might be his last chance to act and so he did. Waiting until the final instant before the boomerang came slashing downward, he lashed out with his foot. It connected solidly with her stomach, causing a gratifying rush of air to explode from her mouth. Her weapon continued its downward arc. No longer under her control, it veered slightly to the side, grazing him on the shoulder instead of crashing into his head as she had planned. The force of the swing left it standing upright, the end planted several inches deep in the earth.

A wave of agony erupted from Inuyasha's shoulder, shooting outward like sparks from a fire. He knew his arm was broken, could feel the bones grinding together beneath the bruised flesh. Ignoring the pain, he rolled to his side and struggled to get to his feet. If he could reach his sword, even with one arm out of action, he knew he could win.

Unfortunately for Inuyasha, his luck didn't hold out that long. He was turned on his side, bracing himself with his good arm when the girl got her breath back. Reaching out, she grabbed the boomerang with both hands and pulled it from the ground. Not taking the time to raise it over her head, she swung it sideways instead, sending the thin edge hurtling towards him at a tremendous speed.

Inuyasha threw himself to the side again, eliciting a grunt of pain and effort. He felt the breeze the weapon created and heard the air whistle as it just barely missed him. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to focus. In that instant, Inuyasha saw an opening. The girl had used such force on her swing that she was left momentarily off balance. Now he was faced with a choice: He could use the opportunity to either attack immediately or to put some space between them.

Since any strike he might make would be weaker than usual due to his condition and position, Inuyasha opted for the latter choice. He made his way onto his knees and then to his feet, bracing his weight against a nearby tree. With his injured arm cradled against his body, he was just reaching for the hilt of his sword when the girl's voice caught his attention once more.

"If you wanted a fight, Inuyasha, you should have come to me. You're going to regret ever bringing my brother into this. Did it make you feel powerful to attack someone who was practically helpless? Was it fun for you?" Her face twisted in a combination of absolute hatred and grief. "I dismissed you as a threat once, and it cost me something very dear to me. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Her baffling statements delivered, she drew back her boomerang once more.

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Kagome ran as quickly as her tangling skirt and unwieldy burden would allow her. A sharp pain soon appeared in her side but she forced herself to ignore it. The relatively minor discomfort caused by the cramp paled in comparison to what she might find. Even though she had no real reason to believe that the woman who might be the injured boy's sister could be a threat to a powerful hanyou, the fear gripping her stomach refused to vanish. Every one of her instincts was screaming that Inuyasha was in danger and that she had to get to his side.

In the back of her mind was a questioning voice that wondered why she was so worried. If Inuyasha were to be killed, it would solve many of the problems that kept her up at night. Kikyo would be able to return and reclaim her lands. She would be finally be able to stop pretending and go home to her family and normal life. Then she could at least attempt to forget the troubling events of the last several weeks.

But somehow she couldn't bring herself to wish any harm on him. As difficult and rude as he seemed, Kagome had discovered a genuinely kind person beneath his rough exterior. He cared about the people he was responsible for and had yet to shirk any of the duties that came with being the ruler of such a substantial amount of lands. Under his watchful eye, she had seen nothing but improvements to the people's health, holdings, and attitudes. Besides being a better ruler than Kikyo had ever aspired to be, he was a living, breathing person who deserved a good life as much as anyone else did. It would just be wrong to wish him ill simply to make her own life easier.

In fact, in a few moments of brutal late night honesty, she had even found herself admitting that she would miss him when she had to go. The conversations they had every night had showed her they shared a lot of opinions, although usually for much different reasons. Although few and far between their arguments, the times when they actually got along had come to mean a lot to her.

It was all the pleasant memories that filled her mind as she raced forward, the emotions they inspired urging her to go faster. Kagome barely noticed the leaves that tangled in her hair or the branches that scratched at her face and arms. All of her focus was directed on finding her way back to that clearing, and back to Inuyasha's side.

The trees blocking her path grew more numerous as she made her way deeper into the forest. Thick undergrowth tangled around her ankles and hid obstacles, forcing her slow her steps or risk an injury that might stop her progress altogether. It was only because she was going so slowly, and thus making less noise than before, that she heard the voice.

"I dismissed you as a threat once, and it cost me something very dear to me. I won't make the same mistake twice."

Kagome was moving forward even before the words fully registered in her mind. She arrived in the clearing just as an armor-clad girl was preparing to launch some large type of weapon. Following her line of vision, Kagome gasped at the sight of an obviously injured Inuyasha leaning against a tree.

As she watched, he reached to unsheathe the sword at his side with only one arm as the other swung uselessly from his shoulder. Just as his fingers curled around the hilt, however, he paused, his head turning in her direction. It couldn't have been more than a second before he continued his motion to draw his weapon, but it had been enough. It was painfully clear that he wouldn't succeed in time to block the girl's assault. Kagome knew that he had caught her scent, and that it had distracted him from his task. Her heart leapt into her throat as she realized that her prediction was about to unfold right in front of her eyes.

Kagome saw that she would only have one shot at successfully intervening. If she had done that much damage to Inuyasha, the girl was clearly strong enough that Kagome wouldn't be much of a threat. But if she could catch her off guard while all her attention was focused on Inuyasha, she might have a chance to be of some help.

Swinging the bow into the position she had seen others use a million times, she struggled to get the arrow into place. Her hands were trembling so badly that her aim wavered all over the place. Finally lining up the shot as best she could, Kagome gathered every bit of her courage and acted on her hastily constructed plan.

"Leave him alone or I'll shoot!" she cried, hoping the other girl wouldn't see through her empty threat. She had never even held a bow before and she knew there was no chance of her hitting any specific target. Even if she _could_ hit the woman, she didn't really want to hurt anyone.

Dark eyes swept in her direction, assessing Kagome in an instant. She apparently didn't find a trembling girl with bad aim much of a threat since she turned back to Inuyasha a moment later. However, that one-second of evaluation had been enough for the hanyou to draw his sword and manage to move into an offensive stance. The girl paused, apparently waiting for him to make the first move. Inuyasha seemed more than happy to comply.

As he took a couple of steps forward in preparation to attack, Kagome turned towards him. "Don't!" she yelled, hoping he would hear her in time. If what the maid said was true, this girl was simply trying to find out what had happened to her brother. She was thinking that Inuyasha was to blame, and so her actions were understandable. It wouldn't be right to hurt her under such circumstances. Of course, Inuyasha knew nothing of those circumstances, having left before the maid delivered them. All he knew was that some woman was attacking him with the end goal of killing him. It was more than enough of a reason for him to retaliate in kind.

Fortunately for the other girl, Inuyasha had excellent hearing. At the sound of Kagome's voice, he halted, his sword still raised but now motionless. "Why?" he growled, never taking his eyes off the woman in front of him.

"The boy from this morning . . .he's her brother!" Kagome knew the exact moment that Inuyasha figured out what that meant. His golden eyes closed briefly as his body relaxed out of his battle posture. While he didn't re-sheathe his sword, he did allow the tip to sink towards the ground. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief that turned into a gasp as the girl across the clearing broke into a blur of movement.

With a cry of apparent rage, she launched herself forward, dropping the boomerang in favor of the small sword strapped to her side. Her movements were sloppier now, her emotion getting the better of her. Inuyasha, a little startled at the sudden attack, quickly swung himself out of her range. Skidding to a halt, she immediately turned to come at him again. As soon as she was close enough on her second pass, he turned his sword and rapped her across the back of the head with the flat side. She took two stumbling steps before her eyes rolled up and she collapsed to the ground.

The clearing fell as close to silent as a forest ever got. Kagome's eyes moved from the unconscious girl to the hanyou who stood over her. He was panting slightly from either exertion or pain. After taking a moment to collect himself, he turned towards Kagome. Whatever he saw on her face seemed to agitate him.

"I didn't hurt her too bad," he said gruffly. "If I hadn't done that, she would have just kept coming. This way was just easier . . .and faster, too."

Kagome couldn't manage a reply through her tightening throat. The adrenaline that had carried her through the entire ordeal was fading, leaving her feeling shaken and more than a little frightened. Inuyasha had come very close to serious injury or even death, and there he was, trying to reassure her about the person who had tried to kill him. If all the people who thought demons were heartless and cruel could have seen him in that moment, they would have had to change their opinions . . .just like she had.

Without warning, Kagome felt hot tears well in her eyes. Seconds later she was racing across the space separating them, unable to stop herself. Mindful of his injuries, she flung herself against Inuyasha's chest, locking her arms around his waist. As she stood sobbing into his shirt, all she could feel was an enormous sense of relief that he was okay.

And in that moment, there was no Kikyo. All the lies between them ceased to matter or even exist. There was only the warmth of him in her arms and the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek.

x


	17. Gonna Getcha Good

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
By** _Lady of the Ink  
_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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General Reminder:

_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

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Chapter Seventeen

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Gonna Getcha Good

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Inuyasha stared down at the dark head tucked beneath his chin. For the longest of moments he remained completely still, neither moving nor speaking. Even his thoughts stuttered while he struggled to absorb the string of events that had just occurred.

Just as the pony-tailed girl had been about to hurl her weapon at him once more, his ears had picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. Turning his head had given him a clear view of Kikyo as she stepped through the trees. She held a bow in firing position, an arrow already notched into place. Her voice was level as she called out to his opponent, but Inuyasha caught the slight tremble underlying the brave words.

Before he had made his offer of marriage to Kikyo, he had taken it upon himself to learn everything about her that he could. One of the facts that he had come across was that she was an excellent archer. She had even been praised as better than hunters who made their living by the bow. Although her wobbly stance at the moment belied it, he had no doubt that she could land a shot if the need should arise, not that he was going to give her the chance.

Whether her bad aim was the result of her obvious race from the castle, or a deliberate tactic to mislead didn't matter. What did matter was that the single moment that the woman turned to survey the potential threat gave Inuyasha the time he needed to free his sword from its sheath. Shifting into place, he raised it into striking position. His blood leapt at the thought of combat, and he was more than ready to pay her back for the blows she had managed to land.

The stranger had no sooner turned back to him than he was making his first offensive move. Two steps into it, however, he was halted by the sound of Kikyo's voice.

"Don't!"

The quick explanation of the circumstances that followed immediately squashed his hopes for a fight. He acknowledged that it wouldn't be honorable to continue under such conditions. Of course, acknowledging such a thing normally wouldn't have stopped him from getting a couple of light hits in just for fun. But somehow it was different with Kikyo standing just a few feet away.

Dropping the tip of his sword towards the ground, he had almost been caught of guard when the girl leapt forward with a scream of rage. Her attacks were completely random, showing she was using her emotions rather than her training. Dodging only to have her wheel around and come at him again, Inuyasha had quickly decided to end the game. A swift but firm tap on the back of her head sent the girl to the ground in a heap.

He had turned to Kikyo only to find her looking from him to the girl and back again. Breaking another of his long-standing habits, he had actually tried to explain his actions so that she wouldn't be upset with him. The long silence that followed his words had soon begun to grind on his nerves. Just as he was cursing himself for caring what she thought, his wife had come racing across the clearing. The next thing he knew, she was wrapping her arms around his waist as though she never wanted to let go.

In the quiet that followed, Inuyasha heard the soft, hiccupping breaths that told him she was crying. He tensed, frantically searching his memory for the cause of her tears. Nothing came immediately to mind, leaving him with no idea how to deal with the situation. Doing the only thing that he could think of, he hesitantly slid his uninjured arm around her waist. His hand patted awkwardly at her back as he sought to reassure her about . . .whatever it was that had her upset.

"Hey," he muttered quietly, "there's no need for that. Everything's okay."

At the sound of his voice, Kikyo stiffened. Planting both hands on his chest, she pushed to gain a bit of distance between them. Her gaze rose slowly to his face, a blush creeping into her cheeks when she met his eyes. Obviously embarrassed, she stepped back from him completely. Her hands fisted at her sides as she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry . . .I don't know what came over me." She wiped the tears from her face as though trying to erase the fact that they had ever existed.

Determinedly looking at everything in the clearing except for him, she soon focused on the unconscious girl. Crossing to her side, Kikyo knelt at her side without hesitation. Now that the threat to and from her was gone, Inuyasha could see the sympathy in Kikyo's movements.

As she carefully turned the girl on her side and began looking her over, Inuyasha retrieved his sword from the ground. It had slipped from his fingers when his wife had flown at him. Now he wiped off the blade and returned it to its sheath. That accomplished, he tested his shoulder to try and find out the extent of the damage. There had been a lot of force behind her swing, and it showed in the injury it had left behind. If he had been a human, it probably would have left him crippled for life. As it was, his demon blood would most likely have him healed in a day or two.

A bit disgruntled at his lost chance to avenge his dignity, Inuyasha glared sullenly at the unknown girl. It would have been nice if he'd been able to get in at least one hit before Kikyo stopped him. That reminded him of her earlier comment, and he turned to her. "How do you know that she's that boy's sister?"

Barely sparing him a glance, Kikyo quickly recited her conversation with the maid. By the time she finished, Inuyasha was forced to agree that the two being related was more than a slight possibility. A small part of him was glad that she had come to tell him; he almost certainly would have felt guilty had he done serious damage and then found out.

His thoughts were interrupted when Kikyo let out a small cry. He was at her side in an instant. "What? What is it?" She pointed with a trembling finger to a spot on the girl's side. Following it, Inuyasha found himself staring at a space about the size of his palm. The material of her clothing looked like it had been burned, searing itself into her flesh. The small amount of skin that he could see was a brilliant red, obviously having been victim to the same attack . . .a very familiar attack.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha breathed, recognizing the results of his brother's handiwork instantly. It looked like she had caught a glancing blow. If it had hit her full on, there would have been no way she'd have had the strength to come and attack him. There probably wouldn't have been much of her left at all.

"Your brother? What, you mean he did this?"

"It sure looks like it," Inuyasha muttered, still studying the mark.

"But how is that possible?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out." Even as he spoke, Inuyasha made a mental note to dispatch a runner to the Western Lands as soon they got back to the castle. He wanted to know how it came to be that his half brother and his would be assassin had crossed paths.

"We can always ask her when she wakes up. I mean, she's bound to be more companionable once we explain that you didn't do anything to her brother. That was her whole reason for attacking you, after all."

Inuyasha was silent for a moment as a thought struck him. Not for a single instant had Kikyo believed that he had harmed the boy. When she had come rushing into the clearing, it was to help him. She had known that he would stop once she explained, had trusted that he would do the right thing.

She had trusted _him_.

The same feeling he had been filled with when she rushed into his arms began to swell inside his chest once more. The warm heaviness was alien, but not altogether unpleasant. What was slightly unpleasant was the kinds of things this human woman could make him feel without even trying. Her actions affected him in ways he didn't fully understand, and all without her even knowing it.

Kikyo's voice interrupted his thoughts for the second time. "We should get her to Kaede so that she can take care of her wounds. Plus I think she should be close to her brother when either of them wakes up."

"The old woman can take care of her injuries, but she can't stay just anywhere. In case you've forgotten, she was trying to kill me. Until all of this is straightened out, she needs to be under guard. Her wounds can heal just as well in the prison as they can in a sickroom."

"Inuyasha!" Kikyo's expression was horrified. "You cannot be thinking of sticking a sick woman into a jail cell! It's just not right!"

"That sick woman almost killed me! And since I'm the lord here, I can do whatever I want!"

Kikyo planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I will not have you putting a hurt woman in a cell! And I won't let you assign a bunch of guards to trail after her like she's a criminal, either."

"She _is_ a criminal!"

"She had a good reason to attack you."

"And that makes it okay?"

Kikyo took what was clearly meant to be a calming breath. "Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere. What we need is a compromise." She thought for a moment. "Okay, how about this: a locked room instead of the prison?"

"Prisoners, such as people who try to KILL ME, go in prisons. That's why the names are so similar. Prison. Prisoner. See?"

"Oh, come on! You're not even trying! Be reasonable about this. Please, Inuyasha." It was the note of pleading in her voice and eyes that did it. He simply couldn't say no when she was looking at him like that, her teeth gnawing at her lower lip as she waited for his reply. Huffing out a breath, he made an effort to meet her halfway. While there were some concessions he was willing to make, he wouldn't allow any that might jeopardize their safety.

"The room can't be in the castle itself, and there have to be two guards posted at all times."

"Outside the castle is fine, so long as it isn't too far, but no guards."

"One guard."

"The last thing we want is to get her defensive right off the bat. Seeing one of your men is only going to put us at a disadvantage when we go to ask her questions. How can we ask her to trust us enough to explain things rationally -and without bloodshed- if she sees that we don't trust her in return?"

"We can't leave her unguarded, and that's final. She's dangerous. If she escaped and decided to go on the warpath again, she could do a lot of damage. It's just not safe to leave her alone."

Kikyo nodded, mulling over his words. After a moment, her expression brightened. "Okay, so there can be a guard, just so long as it's not a soldier."

It sounded reasonable enough, but it left Inuyasha with one huge question. Who was he supposed to get to deal with a psychotic woman who had given him a real challenge in battle if not one of his soldiers? It would have to be someone who could either avoid rousing her anger . . .or someone who deserved having to deal with it.

An evil thought hit Inuyasha, manifesting itself in the wicked smirk that tilted his lips. Luckily for him, Kikyo had turned back to their silent companion and missed seeing it. If she had seen it, she would have been more than a little suspicious about his quick agreement.

"I think I just might have the perfect person for the job. Even you won't be able to fault him."

"Good. Since we're agreed, we should probably head back now. I bet everyone's worried." She eyed the various things that would require toting back to the castle with them. "You carry her and I'll carry her . . .boomerang . . .thing. Just be careful of her side when you pick her up, okay?"

"_Her _side? What about mine? She almost took my arm off, for gods' sake! How 'bout sympathy for me?" Kikyo scoffed under her breath and turned her head, the action a split second too late to keep him from seeing her roll her eyes. More than a little putout at the change in her attitude, he scowled. Stooping, he slid his good hand beneath the girl and levered her over his shoulder much the same way he would have a sack of grain.

"Inuyasha!"

"Well how else am I supposed to carry her with one arm?!"

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"You want me to what?" Miroku asked, titling his head to the side in curiosity.

"I want you to be in charge of looking after a woman for me," Inuyasha repeated slowly. As soon as he and Kikyo had returned to the castle with their second unconscious stranger of the day, he had sought out the priest. He didn't think it would take much to get the holy man's interest raised enough to agree to his scheme. A few carefully chosen words and he was sure Miroku would take the bait. In fact, there was already a decided air of curiosity about him, proven with his next question.

"What did you say this woman was like?"

Inuyasha fought to keep an innocent expression on his face. "If I had to sum her up in one word, it would be 'fiery'." _Like a red-hot poker grinding into your eye . . ._

"What did you say she looked like again? Not that it matters, mind you. It's just one should be prepared."

"Let me put it this way: When I first saw her, I almost lost my head." _That damn boomerang of hers is a menace . . ._

Miroku's eyebrow arched at that, accompanied by a contemplative look. With a firm nod, he seemed to come to a decision. "Then Inuyasha, as you were so kind as to ask, I would be delighted to assist you in any way that I can. In fact, knowing that I'm being of help to you by carrying out this task, I think I may even enjoy it."

Inuyasha barely quelled a smirk. 'Not nearly as much as I'm going to.'


	18. Good Morning Sunshine

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
By** _Lady of the Ink  
_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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General Reminder:

_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

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Chapter Eighteen

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Good Morning Sunshine

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Rin stood outside the single window of her small cottage. Rain was falling down all around her, soaking into her clothing and plastering her hair to her head, but she didn't mind. She had always enjoyed the many faces of nature and found a simple kind of pleasure in being surrounded by them. There were countless times in her memory when she had spent the entire day dancing beneath the raindrops or walking through meadows coated in a layer of newly fallen snow. The occasional cold she caught was a minor discomfort compared to the peace her actions brought to her.

For the first time in her life, she had been confronted by something equally as wild as nature. Only being around this entity was bringing her anything but peace.

Her eyes locked onto the pale, still figure currently occupying her bed. He hadn't moved since she had managed to maneuver him there, which was no more than she had expected. While the treatment she had given his neck had removed most of the darts' poison, some had still made its way into his bloodstream. Though not nearly potent enough to be lethal, she guessed he would be out for quite some time.

It was probably a good thing that he had remained unconscious so far, she thought to herself with a small smile. Even out cold, he appeared to have a wealth of dignity. She doubted he would have handled being drug through the dirt back to her home wrapped in her shawl very well.

Rin found herself wondering once more what he had done that led to his being attacked. The fact that whoever had assaulted him had left him there pointed to it having been a deliberate action and not some unfortunate accident. She felt a spurt of sympathy for him, but forced herself to tamp it down. For all she knew, he could be some kind of criminal, on the run after doing an evil deed.

Then again, as she knew from firsthand experience, some people could incite cruel responses from others simply by being different. And her uninvited guest certainly was that. Aside from the obvious high quality of his clothing, there were also the markings on his face and arms. Along with his pointed ears, he wasn't like anyone or anything that she had ever seen before.

With a sigh, Rin came to a decision. Until he woke up, there was no way for her to find out whether his harsh treatment was deserved or not. And in the end, it didn't really matter. She would keep him warm, fed, and dry, and when he was well enough, she would send him on his way. Their encounter would be as short as she could make it, and then she would be free to return to her solitary way of life. Ignoring the small pang that came as a result of that choice, she made her way through the door. The soup she had left on the fire needed tending to unless she wanted it to turn into a charred mess.

The quick glance she tossed toward the bed showed her guest in the same position as when she had left. Unsurprised, Rin crossed to the small fireplace and stirred the contents of the pot that hung there. The stew was well on its way to being finished and its savory smell caused her stomach to rumble. Glancing to the table that rested nearby, she caught sight of the bowl of berries she had just picked that morning. Giving into temptation, she popped a few of the ripe fruits into her mouth. She sighed lightly at the sweet taste before turning to her next task.

In one corner of the small room sat a woven basket. It was filled only a little more than halfway with various plants and flowers, since she hadn't finished her gathering before stumbling onto the stranger in the meadow. As it was, it contained enough to keep her busy for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. Rin moved to the small table, bringing the basket with her. Settling it at her feet, she reached in and pulled out a handful of plants. Humming to herself, she began sorting them into piles according to the use she planned to put them to. A few were for cooking, but the majority of the others would be boiled or mashed for use in healing mixtures and creams.

As she sorted, her mind drifted back to when she was first learning the skill of medicines. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost hear her mother's voice as she carefully explained the uses of each plant.

_"Now Rin, this plant is best for curing sore throats. It only grows for a short time, so it's best to get as much as you can at once."_

Some of her best memories had been formed there at her mother's side as she found equal joy in both the company and the lessons she was learning. It had solidified her love of plants and elevated her mother to an almost superhuman standing in her mind. It had seemed like there was nothing that she didn't know, no illness she couldn't cure.

In the end, she had paid an awful price for that knowledge.

Rin quickly shook off the darker memories that threatened to rise. She had promised herself and her mother a long time ago that she would concentrate on the good times and try to forget the bad times. It was the only way she managed to make it through each day.

She refocused her attention on the plants in front of her and, with her renewed dedication to the chore, finished sorting them in no time at all. With a length of string she retrieved from her pocket, she fashioned and wrapped several different bundles of herbs. They would soon join others like them, hanging from a rafter to dry. The rest of the flowers got pushed to the far edge of the table as she grabbed another handful and repeated the process.

The sun was reaching its cresting point by the time she finished. After she allowed herself a good long stretch to relieve muscles that had been still for too long, Rin turned to the only other undertaking left to her: the stranger in her bed. With all the time that had passed since she had brought him home with her, the ill effects of the poison should have just about worn off. It was getting to the point where she should try to wake him and assess his condition.

Moving to the bed, she grabbed the jar of cream she had left nearby earlier. Depending on how the wounds in his neck were coming, she might need to apply another coat of the salve. She took a seat on the edge of the bed, tucking the ends of her skirt neatly under her legs.

Rin leaned over the sleeping visitor, meaning to have a closer look at his neck. Somewhere along the way, however, her line of vision went off track. She studied his face, almost awed by the perfection of his features. He was so different from anyone she had ever seen before; more flawless than a living thing had right to be. His skin was so pale and still that she could almost convince herself he had been chiseled from stone by some loving sculptor with the intent of creating a god.

She found her eyes tracing the pattern of stripes on his face, and before she could stop herself, her finger rose to follow that same path. His skin was smooth beneath her touch, and softer than she thought flesh could be. Without conscious thought, she moved her hand until her palm was cupping his cheek . . .just as he opened his eyes.

**x**

When he had first begun his journey to be a warrior, as all truly great leaders must be, Sesshomaru had decided to become the best. No task was too difficult, no exercise too rigorous for him to undertake in pursuit of that goal. He held himself to a higher standard than others, even those selected by his father to teach him. They sought to impart their knowledge and experience to him; he, in turn, sought to surpass them and become stronger.

The result of his diligence with his training was a set of finely honed senses and an instinct so acute that it bordered on intuition. Many times in his life, Sesshomaru had had cause to be grateful for them. They had saved him from injury and even death on several occasions. Sometimes they even came in useful in situations with much smaller odds.

He had awoken to just such an occurrence. In the seconds directly after he went from unconscious to aware, Sesshomaru's senses quickly began to catalogue information about his environment. While his eyes remained closed to veil his newly alert state, his nose, ears, and even skin were gathering facts for his benefit.

His ears caught the sound of a bubbling liquid overlapping the hiss and crackle of a fire. There was also the smell of smoke, light enough for him to identify its source as a small blaze. It was accompanied by the odor of cooking vegetables and several freshly cut plants. Over top of it all was an almost disturbingly familiar scent of a human . . .

Sesshomaru had to force himself to maintain his feigned slumber when he recognized it as belonging to the woman from the meadow, the one he had never managed to catch a glimpse of. The smell was much thicker here, and fresher than he had ever found it. The sound of humming reached his ears, telling him that she hadn't gone far.

It took a large amount of concentration for him to continue his survey after he realized that. He was disconcerted by the distraction that that woman caused him. Nothing like it had ever happened to him before, and he was less than happy with it. He was determined to find a way to stop it, no matter what. After that, he would strive to ensure that such a reaction never troubled him again.

But that was later. Focusing closely, he caught the sound of raindrops falling to the ground. Although the drumming noise they made came from directly overhead, he felt no trace of them on his clothing or face. Added together, the information he had told him was inside a sort of shelter. There was a small, controlled fire nearby with some sort of food cooking on it. And finally, the person who was behind all of those things was the phantom human he had been plagued by since his arrival.

Pleased that his well-trained senses hadn't let him down, Sesshomaru turned to his other source of information. While there was no real science behind his instinct, he had learned to trust it without question. What it told him, he accepted as fact. And at that moment, his instinct was telling him that he was being watched.

The slight scraping of a piece of furniture being moved quickly followed that revelation. Footsteps whispered across the floor, coming closer to where he lay. He felt the corner of the bed dip as she sat down at his side.

It took every ounce of Sesshomaru's will not to react when he felt the first touch upon his face. A shiver worked its way up his spine as the gentle touch crested the half-moon on his forehead before moving on to the stripes crossing his cheekbones. However, when he felt the sensation of a warm palm settle on his cheek, nothing could have stopped him from opening his eyes.

**x**

Upon their return to the castle, Kagome and Inuyasha were met with a crowd of people. As Kagome returned the borrowed and unused bow to the hunters, Inuyasha threw out a few concise explanations concerning the second unconscious body he'd lugged home that day. He also managed a quick talk with one of his men, who then immediately took off towards the demon army's camp. Kagome could only assume it had something to do with Inuyasha's plan to track down his brother for some answers.

The moment that Kagome's task was finished, Inuyasha urged her forward into the building. As the sounds of the crowd faded, she found herself filled with a nervousness that had nothing to do with her secret being exposed. Her mind insisted on reliving the brief moment she had been in his arms just a little while before. It had been a strange experience . . .disturbing and exciting at the same time. Her skin almost tingled with the memory of firm muscles beneath her hands, the smell of sweat, blood, and something indescribably Inuyasha still fresh in her nose.

Feeling a hot blush creeping into her cheeks, she forcibly turned her thoughts in another direction. The nearest distraction happened to be the unconscious girl currently slung over Inuyasha's shoulder. She hadn't so much as stirred since being knocked out and Kagome was beginning to worry. Aside from the fight with Inuyasha, there was Sesshomaru's damage to take into consideration. Having little to no knowledge on the wounds that demon attacks could inflict on a person, Kagome feared there were harmful effects already taking place.

To her surprise, Inuyasha ducked into the Lady's parlor where she had cried her eyes out on the day of Sesshomaru's arrival. He laid the girl on the same sofa where she had introduced herself to Shippo and offered her friendship to the small kitsune. Those seemed like distant memories when in fact, they had happened just over a week before. Her entire existence had been turned upside down with a thoroughness that continued to affect her. She felt like she was caught in the current of a fast moving river, watching helplessly as strange things passed by her, influencing her life in ways she was unable to resist.

At that moment, the biggest change she had been confronted with turned to face her. He must have caught the look of contemplation on her face and assumed it was about their location because he offered an explanation in a gruff voice.

"She's not staying in the castle, but she needs to be looked at. This is the closest place to have your aunt check her out while I see about finding somewhere for her to stay." He began stalking to the door only to pause a moment later. Giving her a stern look, he added, "She doesn't leave this room, hear me? I find out you've moved her, the compromise is off and she gets a one-way ticket to the dungeon." Without waiting for her reply, he was gone.

Kagome resisted the urge to huff. Although she completely agreed with what he had said, the way he chose to say it sparked her temper. She was tempted to defy him out of spite, but a deal was a deal.

"Kikyo?"

Shippo's voice was so unexpected that Kagome jumped at the sound of it. Collecting herself, she turned to him, a smile rising to her lips as she saw him peeking around the corner. She motioned for him to come inside. He took two steps forward before pausing, his eyes wide and just a little fearful. Kagome was sure he had heard who the other girl was and what she had done to Inuyasha. In order to calm him, she tilted her head at the sofa. "It's okay. She's out cold."

With an audible sigh of relief, he scampered to her side. Reaching down to pat his head, Kagome braced herself to ask something of him that she knew he wouldn't enjoy. "Shippo, I need you to be brave and do me a favor. I have to find Ka- my aunt Kaede, and bring her to look at this girl's injuries, but I can't just leave her here alone. Do you think you could handle staying with her until I get back?"

Shippo's face immediately clouded with uncertainty. She could almost see the battle going on inside him. He wanted to help, but he was afraid to be left alone with the girl. It was painful for Kagome to make him do something that obviously scared him, but she didn't have a choice. It could be a long time before Inuyasha returned or someone else appeared, and the stranger's wounds needed looked at.

'I guess we're both just going to have to do something unpleasant today,' she thought to herself. Kneeling down, she looked Shippo in the eye. "I know this is a little scary, but you don't have anything to worry about. She's completely harmless, and I'll be back really, really quickly. I bet you'll hardly notice I'm gone." She paused and then added, "Please, Shippo. This is really important."

The kitsune cub closed his eyes and nodded. Sweeping him into a hug, Kagome planted a kiss on his cheek. "I knew you were brave enough for this! You just wait here and I'll be right back, okay?" He nodded again and she rose to her feet. With only a quick look back to be sure he was still okay, she strode from the room.

As she made her way down the hall, Kagome lifted her chin and squared her shoulders with determination. Somehow, without even meaning to, she had come to an important decision. It was time for her to face another thing she didn't want to: She would fetch Kaede, see the girl settled in her new quarters, and then find Inuyasha in order to tell him everything.

"The petals from this flower work very well on headaches. You boil them in water just like tea. You know it's ready when the water turns this lovely shade of light pink."

"If you shred this one and soak it in water, you can form it into a compress. It'll create a nice, tight seal over wounds, easing the pain and helping to stop the bleeding at the same time."


	19. Come Clean

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
**By _Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

**General Reminder: **_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

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Chapter Nineteen

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Come Clean

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"You can count on me to oversee every aspect of her care, I assure you. There is no job too challenging or delicate for me to handle. Meals, changing bandages, even baths if the situation calls for it: I am more than willing to take care of it all. Not even the smallest detail will escape my notice . . ."

Inuyasha easily tuned out Miroku's voice as he trailed alongside of him. They were in the middle of finding a suitable place to keep the castle's newest arrival. The priest had yet to stop talking about his soon-to-be ward, and it was almost enough to make the hanyou lord regret his decision to put him in charge of the prisoner.

Almost.

Inuyasha had a feeling that the results of putting the two together would be well worth the annoyance of setting it up. In fact, it might even be worth the aggravation of the earlier battle. With what he had learned about the priest's habits around all women, it would only be a matter of time before he took things too far with the woman from the woods. And when he did, Inuyasha planned to have a front row seat.

"Here it is." Miroku accompanied his statement with a wide sweep of his arm, indicating the room in question. Quickly refocusing on his surroundings, Inuyasha looked it over carefully. He started making a mental note of all the aspects, both good and bad, that it had to offer.

On the positive side, the room was located just off the main room of the church, only a quick walk from where he had spoken his vows all those weeks ago. It was also the right size, being big enough for comfortable living but not so big as to allow for excessive movements, like those an escape would require. The door had a metal, lattice-like inset that allowed almost the entire interior to be viewed from outside. While it was sure to be useful in keeping track of the woman, Inuyasha had a feeling it wouldn't take long for Miroku to put it to another purpose entirely.

One of the only negative notes about it was the absence of a lock, a lack which Inuyasha planned to have rectified as soon as possible. With the addition of a stout bar across the outside, it was as close to perfect as he was likely to find. Turning to Miroku, he nodded in satisfaction.

"This room will be fine. It'll be awhile before she shows up, so I'd take the time to finish up any other tasks you have planned for the rest of the day. Once she's here, you'll need to be as observant as you can until everything settles in." Inuyasha started towards the door but paused before reaching it. "I'll send one of the maids over with all the stuff she'll need. Keep your hands to yourself while she's working, would you? I've already gotten enough complaints about you to deal with as it is."

He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the innocent look Miroku immediately affected. It was a good act, he had to admit. If he hadn't caught the man red-handed, excuse the expression, on more than one occasion, he might have even believed it. As it was, he simply felt grateful that the random grope was as far the man usually got.

With a look that showed he meant business about the maid, Inuyasha pushed through the door and headed back towards the castle. Although he had managed to distract himself while setting up Miroku- er, the girl's quarters, his mind now returned to his most pressing concern: Kikyo.

Since the moment she had thrown herself into his arms, his brain insisted on bringing her image to the front of his thoughts. He found himself going over her actions and his response to them, wondering what they meant. In the end he was left with a lot of questions and a few half formed theories.

One thing he did know for sure was that their relationship had changed. At first she was nothing more than a way to gain hold of the lands without bloodshed. As the days passed and he spent time with her, however, he had come to see her as a person. Through her kindness, intellect, and wit, he had gotten to the point where he almost . . .admired her. She was strong in a way that was entirely different from his own strengths. Where he used force and intimidation, she employed logic and a gentle encouragement.

He had to admit that it was a good thing. What one of them lacked, the other made up for, creating an even balance. A small voice at the back of his mind whispered that that was what a marriage was meant to be, much the same as the union between his mother and father. The thought was more intense than he was willing to deal with at that moment, so he pushed it aside.

As Inuyasha reached the castle, he automatically sought out Kikyo's scent. Although there were hundreds of people who passed through the area on a daily basis, he managed to pick hers out almost immediately. For reasons he didn't care to think too much about, it seemed to have a calming effect on him. Shrugging off the odd feeling, he trailed along the hallway, picking up speed as the scent grew stronger. He soon learned that the kitsune had tracked her down, and that she had left him and the strange girl afterwards.

As soon as he realized the direction of her steps, he knew where she was headed. Although the room where the boy lay wasn't really on route to his destination, Inuyasha decided to make a detour in order to inform Kikyo of his plans. She shouldn't be able to find anything wrong with a room in the church and the priest for a guard. By the time she learned of Miroku's . . .earthier habit, the situation with the girl would hopefully be well on its way to resolved.

He felt himself smirking as he imagined what was sure to come. It would certainly serve the perverted priest right to meet his match. If his hand wandered with her, the only thing he'd get a hold of was a whole lot of trouble. Inuyasha could hardly wait; it was sure to be the best entertainment the area had to offer.

Glancing around, he noted that the sickroom was just down the hall. He had been right; Kikyo's scent led directly to it. It was only when he was just steps from the door that he noticed the subtle change in her trail. The pleasant scent was now marred by a strain of something darker and disturbing.

Fear.

**x**

Her steps quick with the force of her determination to end the lies Kikyo had started, Kagome reached the injured boy's room in no time at all. She hoped to find Kaede there or, barring that, someone else who knew where Kaede was. Finding the door slightly ajar, she pushed her way inside, her eyes instantly scanning the room for the older woman. Neither Kaede or a maid were there, but something else was. Curled up against the unconscious boy was a small bundle of golden and black fur. From the little she could see, she guessed it to be slightly larger than the average cat but smaller than a dog.

As she watched, the creature seemed to notice that she was there. It's head lifted and its eyes- blood red, she noted ironically -locked on her face with an unblinking intensity. Kagome made a small sound of dismay and backed away as it rose on four legs and turned to face her. With a growing sense of horror, she watched it's mouth open wide to reveal rows of needle sharp teeth as it . . .yawned?

Kagome's shoulders slumped with a combination of relief and confusion as she watched the small animal calmly settle into a sitting position. It's head tilted to the side as it gazed back at her with an air of inquisition. Unconsciously copying the position, Kagome stared back. Now that she no longer feared an immediate threat to her person, she found the small animal to be quite adorable.

She had just leaned forward slightly to verify that it had two tails when suddenly the door behind her was thrown open. Since she was standing right in front of it, Kagome caught a glancing blow across her shoulder, knocking her onto the floor on her hands and knees. Tossing her head to get her hair out of her face, she found herself looking up at Inuyasha. Framed in the doorway with his sword drawn in his good hand, he looked the part of an avenging warrior bent on destruction.

His golden eyes scoured the room, lingering for just a moment on the unknown being beside the boy before locking onto her. Taking in her position on the floor along with her proximity to the now open door, he seemed to realize quickly what had happened. A sheepish expression crossed Inuyasha's face as he made a move to help her up. Realizing that he still had his sword in his good hand, he started to sheath it, but paused as his gaze returned to the creature on the bed. Unwilling to be left defenseless, he settled for moving close to her side and asking her if she was all right.

Kagome nodded, touched and annoyed at the same time. He was sweet to make sure she was okay, but it would have been nicer if he'd helped her up. He _was_ the one who'd knocked her down, after all, barging into the room like a madman. Reminded of that, Kagome turned a questioning look on Inuyasha, completely ignoring the animal that held his attention.

"What are doing here?"

Looking startled at her question, it took a moment for him to answer. "I was looking for you."

"What for?"

"To tell you that that girl's room is ready for . . . Why are we talking about this when there's a demon on the bed?"

It was Kagome's turn to look startled. "Demon? That's a demon?"

"That's what I just said, isn't it?"

"I didn't know demons could look like that. I thought they looked like you or your brother." She turned to scrutinize the small demon, who, during their conversation, had taken it upon itself to have a bath. Inuyasha's explanation certainly explained it's odd appearance, but did nothing to clarify why it had decided to pop into the boy's room. "I never would have guessed that demons could be so cute."

"Are you stupid or something?" Inuyasha stared at her, a lightly contemptuous expression of disbelief on his face. Kagome took immediate offense to his tone.

"For your information, you happen to have been the first demon that I ever met. You seem to have forgotten that no demons have been in this area for a long time up until you and your army came. Everything that I know about them comes from legends and bedtime stories that focused more on all the ways they could kill you rather than all the different types." She put her hands on her hips while leveling her best glare at him. "Forgive me for not being some sort of expert on your kind."

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched but before he could manage a response, there was a noise from the hallway. He moved to the side as a maid maneuvered her way into the room. The small bowl of fragrant soup she held explained her presence and previous absence at the same time. She offered a smile to them before she got her first look at the newest occupant on the bed. Her reaction was not nearly as calm as Kagome's had been.

"Kyaaa!"

The bowl went flying as the woman flung up her hands. Most of its contents found their way all over the front of Inuyasha's clothing. His expression shifted from anger to dumbstruck as his head slowly tilted down to eye the broth dripping onto the floor. Kagome couldn't hold back a round of giggles as she watched him. Completely at a loss as he was, he looked more like a startled little boy than the imposing lord from moments before. Her laughter intensified.

During the distraction, the small demon had hopped off the bed. It had sniffed at the air a few times before disappearing through the door. Kagome watched it go, wondering if she should follow. Inuyasha apparently had the same idea. His sword was sheathed and he vanished through the doorway in an instant, leaving the two women alone with the boy.

Quickly assuring the maid that everything was fine and there was nothing to be afraid of, Kagome hurried after Inuyasha. He was stalking down the hall and easy to find since he was grumbling quite loudly. Reaching his side, she matched her stride to his.

Inuyasha's mumbling stopped abruptly, lapsing the hallway into silence. Kagome shot a glance at him from the corner of her eyes, wondering what he was thinking. The irritated expression on his face pointed to it being something unpleasant so she was hesitant to ask. Resigned to the quiet, she kept her eyes on the demon in front of her and off the one beside her.

It seemed to know exactly where it was going, not faltering once as it retraced the path Inuyasha had just taken himself. Kagome watched, surprised, as it pushed it's way into the Lady's parlor. Thinking about, it made sense to her. If the boy and girl really were related, than the demon would know both of them. It had seemed very comfortable with the boy; perhaps it was a pet? If so, it was only reasonable it would want to check on it's other master.

A moment passed while she and Inuyasha waited in the hall. There were no screams from inside the room, so Kagome assumed that Shippo was taking the new arrival well. Confident that she and Inuyasha could intervene in moments should the need arise, Kagome decided to take the opportunity to make a request.

"Um, Inuyasha?" There was a huff from beside her that she translated as hanyou for "What?" "If the girl wakes up when we're in there, could you let me do all the talking? I know that she was fighting you and all, but I think this could all be cleared up pretty easily if everyone stays calm.

"I can be calm!"

"Like you are right now?" she asked him sarcastically. Immediately regretting it, she took a moment to regroup. "All I'm asking is that you give me some time to talk with her before you start yelling, or threatening to toss her in the dungeon."

He crossed his arms over his chest, looking away from her. She thought he was going to argue further and so his next statement caught her by surprise.

"You just finished laughing at me and now you're begging favors?"

_'Ah, so that's the reason for the pouting.' _"I wasn't laughing at you . . .exactly. It was more like stress relief. It's been kind of a rough morning, you know. Finding the hurt boy, realizing you were in danger, running off to warn you; it's a lot for one person to handle."

"Why did you?'

"Why did I what?"

"Come to warn me."

Kagome stopped in her tracks, turning so that she could see his face. He was dead serious and a little nervous about her answer, if his uneasy posture was any clue. She should have been careful about her reply, watching her words in light of what she was planning to tell him as soon as she had the chance. But his nervousness, that hint that he reply really mattered to him, was her undoing. In the face of such an important sign of his regard for her, she could be nothing but completely honest.

"I didn't want to see you get hurt, Inuyasha. I . . .wanted to make sure that you'd be okay. I needed to know that you were safe . . ."

The moment the words were out, Kagome dropped her eyes to floor. She wanted to know what his response would be but she was terrified of it at the same time. It would be painful for her to learn that she had overestimated his feelings regarding her, and even more painful if she hadn't. If he cared about her even one tenth as much as she cared about him, then it would be very hard for him to learn about her deception. It was killing her, and she was the one doing the lying!

Kagome swallowed hard, thinking about what she had just thought. She _did_ care about him. A lot. Hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do, but it was the best thing for him at the same time. For that reason, she was willing to risk everything: his wrath, her safety, and even the safety of her family. It was the least she could do since . . .

She was in love with him.

A gasp wrenched from her throat as that thought crystallized in her mind. Her head shot up in shock. Inuyasha had moved closer while she was distracted; for a single instant she found herself looking right into his eyes, mere inches from her own. Then he leaned even closer still . . .and kissed her.

x

x


	20. Every Rose Has Its Thorn

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
By** _Lady of the Ink  
_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

**x**

**x**

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General Reminder:

_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

**x**

**x**

**Chapter Twenty**

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Every Rose Has Its Thorn

**x**

He hadn't meant to kiss her.

He'd been angry with her for underestimating the danger of the unknown demon. Just because it happened to be "cute" didn't automatically eliminate its ability to be a threat, something he knew well. In the seconds after noticing the small intruder and before he saw Kikyo was safe and sound, albeit a bit bruised from her drop to the floor, many scenarios had flown through his mind. He had seen the creature leaping from the bed, its mouth open as its small, needle-sharp teeth sank deeply into her neck. He saw her sprawled on the ground, blood oozing from scratches and bites all over her body.

The fury he'd felt at her lack of caution had filled him so quickly that he knew he needed to put some space between them. If he had to listen to her careless excuses while those images were still fresh in his mind, Inuyasha knew he'd say something he would later regret. Even as angry as he was, he didn't want to distance himself from her by getting into a fight while his temper was still at its worst. Only his relief at finding her unharmed had tempered it enough that he was able to walk away while biting his tongue.

The encounter with the maid and her bowl of soup hadn't helped matters any. There he was, taking the mature and dignified path for perhaps the first time in his life, and Fate conspired to make him look like an idiot for it. Fighting a mixture of outrage and embarrassment, he was glad when the small demon jumped from the bed to the floor and gave him a reason to leave the room. Both his relief and his grumbling complaints were cut short when he heard the swish of skirts and the gentle patter of footsteps, letting him know that the cause of his unease had followed him from the room.

The silence of the walk both suited his mood and worked on his nerves. Kikyo seemed content enough to leave it that way. It was only after the demon cat had made its way into the parlor that she spoke. His first instinct was to ignore her until enough time had passed that the entire incident lost some of its sting, but something in him wouldn't let him. It wasn't long before he regretted not going with his initial impulse.

Her comments about his inability to remain calm had made his anger flare once more, causing him to inadvertently prove her point. In response, he had brought up the soup episode, silently chiding her for finding humor in his misery. He had expected some kind of comeback: a quip, a mocking comment, or even an apology of some sort. While none of those things passed through her lips, what did come reminded him of another question that had been weighing on the back of his mind. The thought that she had put herself at risk to come and warn him had made him feel anxious and pleased at the same time. He didn't want to see her get hurt, but the possibility that she cared for him enough to walk into danger filled him with an unknown warmth.

Deciding that a little more humiliation on an already embarrassment-filled day was nothing to worry about, Inuyasha had taken a chance and asked her why she'd done it. The long pause that followed had him suspecting she might lie, but the moment that she spoke, he knew she was telling the absolute truth. The expression on her face and the slight hesitation of her voice made it clear that she really meant what she was saying.

_"I didn't want to see you get hurt, Inuyasha. I . . .wanted to make sure that you'd be okay. I needed to know that you were safe . . ."_As her eyes dropped to the floor and a blush crept its way up her neck, an alien impulse came over him. The tips of his fingers burned with the urge to trace the curve of her cheek at the same time as the memory of her in his arms slammed back into his mind. His feet moved forward almost of their own accord, putting him close enough to her to hear her swallow. The action drew his eyes to the lines of her throat, the creamy expanse marred slightly by scratches she'd gotten on her dash through the woods. He moved even closer just as her head shot up and a gasp escaped her throat. The sight of her startled eyes had struck him and before he knew it, his lips were meeting hers.

It was the same as their first kiss and yet infinitely different. That had been a kiss between strangers, intimate and distant at the same time. This was a kiss between people who had come to know each other, like each other, care about each other. That extra rapport added an entirely new dimension to it.

His hand rose to her shoulder, feeling the brush of her hair against his fingers. He stepped even closer until the skirt of her dress swished against his legs. Dragging his thumb gently down the curve of her cheek, he heard her muffled exclamation. It brought to mind their first such encounter, or rather what happened after. Bracing himself for her to move away and possibly slap him again, Inuyasha was stunned when Kikyo pressed closer instead, kissing him back with abandon. Her hands fisted in his shirtfront, holding him still as her mouth moved on his.

Inuyasha pulled away from her slowly, not wanting the moment to end. He'd been surprised when she hadn't broken the kiss; he was even more surprised at her reaction once it was over. Reaching up, Kikyo laid her hand along the side of his cheek as a small, sad smile tipped her lips. She didn't say anything, just looked up at him as though memorizing his face. As her hand dropped back to her side, an unaccountable sensation of loss and almost panic seized him. Shrugging it off as best he could, Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak just as the door to the parlor opened.

The kitsune kit popped his head out. Ignoring Inuyasha completely, he addressed his comments to Kikyo. "She's starting to wake up."

"We'll be in in a second, Shippo." If the whelp noticed the slight huskiness of her voice, he chose not to remark on it. Nodding in response, he vanished back into the room, leaving Inuyasha and his wife alone once more. Avoiding meeting his eyes, Kikyo smoothed her hands down the sides of her skirt. She cleared her throat and then took a deep breath. Her mouth opened but it closed again before she made a sound. It was obvious that she had something to say and so Inuyasha remained silent, giving her time to gather her thoughts.

Finally she spoke, her quiet voice barely audible even with his demon hearing. "Once we finish handling the girl, we need to talk."

The words were simple, their meaning clear. But they raised numerous questions all the same. What did she want to talk about? Why wouldn't she meet his eyes? Why did she look so sad as she spoke?

And why did he feel as though something precious was slipping through his fingers?

**x**

Sango groaned as she slowly rose from unconsciousness. As though it were a dark cloud dissipating in the face of a strong wind, the haze wrapping her mind began to leave. Still feeling the fuzzy aftereffects of a forced sleep, she struggled to sort out what had happened. There was the fight with the hanyou in the clearing, interrupted by the girl with the bow. She remembered charging at him only to have the world go black.

Her brow furrowed as she was hit by the feeling that something important was eluding her. The more she tried to figure out what it was, the more elusive it became. Her head throbbed with the effort of remembering, a slow, pounding beat that shot down her neck with every thump of her heart. She frowned, realizing that the pain seemed to be coming from the back of her skull. Her body protesting sharply, she raised a hand to her head. Her fingers sifted through her hair, eliciting a wince when they brushed against a large bump.

As though the action had released it, another memory floated to the surface of her mind. As clearly as though she were revisiting the scene, Sango saw the girl with the bow, halting the hanyou's attack. The girl's words returned to her, loud and numbing as their importance hit her once more.

__

"The boy from this morning . . .he's her brother!"

It had confirmed that they knew of her brother, and the bloodstains on the hanyou's clothing told a dark tale. The rage and despair she'd felt in the forest filled her once more, finally giving her the strength to open her eyes.

The first thing that she saw was a small, familiar face close to her own. "Kirara," she whispered, reaching out to stroke the fire cat's soft fur. Tears filled her eyes and dripped down her cheeks as the thought that Kirara was all she had left filled her mind.

"She's awake."

The words were spoken softly from somewhere in her right. Turning her head with some effort, Sango caught sight of a small kitsune sitting on the edge of the bed. As soon as he noticed her look, he offered a bright smile. Unable to summon the gesture in return, she sought out the person his comment had been addressed to. Her eyes landed on a girl standing at the foot of the bed. For all that she looked familiar, Sango had a hard time placing her. As she tried, a flash of red caught her attention. Focusing fully on it, she was stunned to see the very hanyou she had just been thinking of.

Ignoring the pain that shot through her entire body, Sango sat up, her hand automatically groping for Hiraikotsu. When they came up empty, she settled for the darkest glare she could manage. She was angry but not stupid. Attacking him without a weapon would be suicidal. While she was more than willing to give her life to avenge her brother's, she knew that the injuries she'd sustained would keep her from doing much damage. If she was going to sacrifice herself in battle, she at least wanted it to be one hell of a fight.

To her surprise, the hanyou merely rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest with huff. Deliberately turning his head, he studied the wall while pointedly ignoring her existence. Grinding her teeth in annoyance, Sango nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand come to rest on her arm.

"Hello."

Sango found herself facing the girl from the clearing once more. This time she had no bow, merely a sympathetic expression and a hesitant smile. "I'm sorry I don't have handkerchief to loan you," she said, gesturing vaguely toward her own face. Realizing what she was referring to, Sango quickly scrubbed her hands over her face, wiping away as much evidence of her crying as she could. Sniffing quietly, she cleared all the emotion from her face as she looked back at the girl. She wasn't sure what they planned to do with her, but she wasn't about to let them see her fear or uncertainty.

"My name is Kikyo, and this is Shippo," she motioned to the kitsune. "That's Inuyasha, but I think you already knew that. And you are . . .?"

"Sango."

"Well, hello Sango. I hope you're not feeling too badly after that fight. We'll get your injuries checked out really soon, but I think we need to have a talk first."

"What's to talk about? He killed Kohaku and I'm going to make sure he pays for it." Whether it was the cold certainty of her tone or the words themselves, Sango was pleased to see Inuyasha's reaction. His hands dropped to his sides and clenched into fists as he took a step forward. The anger on his face was clearly visible as he opened his mouth. His words never came, however, as Kikyo raised a single hand in his direction. "You agreed." was all she said.

Surprisingly, the hanyou retreated to his corner, grumbling but obeying. Kikyo addressed Sango once more. "Kohaku; that's your brother?"

"Yes," Sango hissed, still glaring at Inuyasha.

"Is he a few years younger than you, with kind of long dark hair?" She went on to describe the outfit that Kohaku had been wearing, the only one missing from their home. When she paused for confirmation, Sango nodded sharply. The anger was being replaced by sadness again, and she was afraid that if she opened her mouth to speak, the small bit of restraint holding back her tears would break. She was not going o let her brother's killer see her cry!

"He's not dead."

It took a moment for the words to sink into Sango's mind, but once they did, she latched onto them. "What did you say?"

Her face a mixture of compassion and happiness at delivering good news, Kikyo took hold of Sango's hand. "I said, he's not dead. I'll tell you more, but have to hear me out first, okay?"

Willing to do almost anything for news of Kohaku, Sango nodded emphatically. Smiling gently, Kikyo explained about her morning walk and the planned picnic. With Shippo breaking in to verify her story, she told about how she had stumbled over the boy and sent Shippo back for help. Inuyasha's arrival and their return to the castle to get him medical treatment came next, followed by Kaede's involvement. When she reached the part about the maid's disclosure, Kikyo paused.

"I know that you think that Inuyasha was the one who hurt your bother, but I can tell you that he wasn't. I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said that it's just not his way." Kikyo laughed softly, showing she wasn't going to hold that against her. "There is other proof, though. The wounds were fresh, and so they had to have happened recently. Inuyasha was with Shippo and myself early this morning, then with his brother, and then with the castle priest. There are probably any number of witnesses that could tell that he hadn't been outside of the courtyard until Shippo came asking for help. With all of that, there's no way he could have been the one to harm your brother."

Sango heard the words, but she was finding it hard to understand them. Over all of the explanations was the simple fact that her brother was alive. It was like a booming mantra, repeating itself over and over in her mind. Kohaku was alive! Kohaku was alive!

"Can I see him?" she asked eagerly, forgetting her earlier vow to show no weakness. It didn't matter anymore; all that mattered was finding her way to her brother's side to make sure that Kikyo was telling the truth. Anything else she would deal with later.

"Of course."

"No way!"

The two statements came at the same time. Kikyo, who had given the affirmative, simply looked at her husband with a raised eyebrow. She didn't bother to argue, merely looked at him silently. After a moment of spluttering, he huffed a sigh and gave in less than gracefully.

"All right, she can see him. But after that it's straight to her room!"

Smiling happily, Kikyo got to her feet. As Kirara jumped to the ground, Sango swung her feet slowly off the sofa. She stood, weaving a bit as a bout of lightheadedness struck her. Before she knew what was happening, a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist, bracing her while she regained her balance. Seeing Kikyo by the door with Shippo, Sango turned her head in shock to find Inuyasha by her side. Refusing to meet her eyes, he helped her make her way across the floor and into the hallway.

Sango absentmindedly allowed his assistance, her mind occupied with a memory from not so long ago. For a moment she was back in the noisy tavern with the woman who had tried to hire her to fight Inuyasha. Her words, so venomous and filled with hate, had made a lasting impression, allowing Sango to recall them clearly.

__

"You'll be sorry! That

thing _won't be happy with just my lands. He'll come looking for more, and this little town will probably top his list. You'll wish you had taken on the job when you watch your neighbors die at his hands . . . They're all the same, disgusting, filthy creatures with nothing on their minds but bloodlust and destruction. They won't stop until they take everything from us."_

She hadn't put any credence in them until after her brother's disappearance. Once she found the trail leading back to Inuyasha, she had started to wonder if maybe the woman hadn't been right about him. Now, faced with his easy concession to his wife's request and the emotion in his eyes as he watched her when she wasn't looking, Sango was forced to reevaluate her opinion once more.

He could have killed her in their fight, but he hadn't. He could have thrown right into a cell for attacking him, and yet he hadn't. He could have denied her the chance to see her brother, but he hadn't. For all that she had tried to end his life, he was showing her a sort of mercy that she wouldn't have guessed him capable of. Maybe a lot of it was due to Kikyo, but she couldn't see the half demon yielding to her whims if he didn't agree with them at least partially. His actions were painting a new picture of him, one that was nothing like the woman in the tavern had described. Had he changed so much after his marriage to the human woman by his side?

While she admitted it was possible, Sango didn't think so. Instincts she had learned to trust explicitly were telling her she had been duped from the outset. It was only too convenient that after turning down the unknown woman's offer, the very threat she had predicted had come true. If Kikyo was telling the truth, Inuyasha was just as much a victim as she was. They'd both been played, quite successfully.

The only question left was by who?


	21. Hold on for One More Day

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Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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General Reminder:

_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

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Chapter Twenty-One

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Hold on For One More Day

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The girl leaning over him didn't so much as flinch when he opened his eyes. She merely subjected them to the same careful consideration she'd been giving the rest of him. Her hand remained on his cheek and she seemed completely unconcerned about being caught in the intimate gesture.

Several different realizations swept through Sesshomaru all at once. One was the fact that he was finally face to face with the girl from the meadow. Another was that someone had managed to get the better of him in a fight, albeit through sneaky tactics. Still another was that he was still weak from whatever had been done to him, and would need time to regain his strength.

There was a single thought much louder and more primal than the others. That voice was telling him that a _human_ was daring to lay her hands on _his_ body without permission as though it were nothing. It wasn't to be allowed. His eyes flared red and his lips drew back to reveal his fangs as a warning growl rolled smoothly from his throat.

The action got the desired effect as the girl jumped, her eyes widening in surprise. Her hand slid from his cheek as she pulled away slightly. Although she straightened so that she was no longer leaning over him, she remained seated at his side. Her expressive face broadcast her emotions clearly as surprise melted into confusion and, for the first time, uncertainty. It was quickly replaced by what he'd soon learn was her usual expression as a grin tilted her lips.

Sesshomaru felt off balance, and he didn't like it one bit. When he threatened someone, they were supposed to acknowledge his ferocity. They were supposed to go weak-kneed and speechless in fright. They were not supposed to _smile _at him.

Not liking her unexpected reactions, he turned his head away from her to stare at the wall. A few moments passed before he heard her climb to her feet and cross the room. There were some scraping noises and the sound of liquid being poured before the footsteps returned to his side. A weighty silence followed, telling him that the girl was waiting for some action on his part. Stealing a glance at her from the corner of his eye, he saw that she now held a bowl of the soup that he'd smelled cooking earlier. Her other hand had a cup of what he guessed to be water.

His head hadn't moved as he made his quick perusal, but she somehow seemed to know that she had his attention. Both offerings were thrust directly under his nose as an expectant look crossed her face.

"I don't want it," he said clearly, hoping the unusual girl would take the hint and leave him be. He was likely to be stuck with her through the night until he regained his strength. The last thing that he wanted to have to fend off her attempts to care for him for the rest of that time.

The girl simply rolled her eyes and pushed the dishes even closer to his face. Licking her lips, she made a little humming noise in the back of her throat and smiled as though to tell him it was delicious.

He could have ignored her. He could have allowed her to continue thinking it was the fear of bad cooking that kept he from taking it. He could have, and he meant to, but somehow an explanation tripped its way off his tongue without his permission. "I don't eat human food."

Her brows drew down in momentary confusion over that statement, but it didn't last long. Titling her head to the side in consideration, she squinted her eyes as she studied him. Giving her head a single sharp nod, her expression cleared as though she had come to an acceptable conclusion. She didn't say a word, just watched him with that same small smile hovering about her mouth.

Apparently accepting that he had told her the truth, she pulled back the bowl. The glass of water she balanced on the floor by the side of the bed. She gestured towards it as though to say it was there if he wanted it and then turned away. Even without looking, he knew that she took a seat across the room. She proceeded to eat the soup she'd offered to him.

Sesshomaru returned his gaze to wall as the girl cleaned up her dishes and did random chores about the house. Every time she passed the bed, she would pause to offer a warm smile before moving on. By the time night began to fall, he had listened or seen her dust all the shelves, mend a rip in what he assumed to be an article of her clothing, brew several different pungent mixtures and leave them to steep, and sweep the floor with a meticulous hand.

Setting aside the broom, the girl moved once more the bed. This time she walked right passed him, however, and knelt at the foot. He realized that there was a trunk sitting there when she popped open the lid.

Across the small distance came the slightly musty scent of a long-enclosed space. From the confines of the trunk, the girl pulled out a number of items and placed them at her side. A stack of clothing, a few old dolls, and some worn books were handled lovingly and with great care.

She perked up when she reached the bottom, apparently having found what she'd been looking for. Several quilts were lifted into view and she hugged them to her chest before setting them aside. The other things were returned to their former places and the trunk was closed. He soon learned the purpose of the additional blankets when she formed them into a makeshift pallet by the fireplace.

Satisfied with their positioning, she vanished through the door, causing him a moment of agitation that he quickly repressed. It made no difference to him where she was going, or even if she ever came back. She was merely an insignificant human, and his stay in her home an unwelcome necessity until he regained his strength. With any luck, he would be able to leave first thing in the morning.

Even so, Sesshomaru found himself relaxing slightly when she returned soon after with an armload of firewood. She stacked it carefully by the fireplace where it could be used the following morning, unlike any pieces that remained outside and would be damp with dew.

Brushing the woodchips and bits of bark from her hands, she took a final turn about the room, setting small things right in preparation for the night. Banking the fire with an experienced hand, she offered him a little wave before lying down. He turned away without acknowledgement, but found himself listening to her breathing as she began to drift off.

The night passed slowly. Sesshomaru, not needing sleep so much as rest, found himself with nothing but his thoughts to occupy to his time. Not likely the paths they took -mostly involving a certain human female who bothered him more than she should- he looked for a distraction. Of course, the only distraction in the room was the very thing he sought to be distracted from.

The slow and even breathing that filled his ears told him that the girl was deeply asleep. Since she couldn't see him, Sesshomaru decided to indulge his curiosity about her. It didn't mean she interested him, he told himself, it was merely the wise thing to do to learn all he could about the only other living thing around at the moment. Really.

She lay on her side, facing in his direction. One hand was tucked beneath her cheek, the other lay palm up on the floor in front of her. He remembered the sensation of her hand on his cheek, the calluses on it proof that she was no pampered maiden. Her hair, too, was proof of her existence outside of social customs, being far longer and worn loose against current fashion. It was well taken care of, though, shining with cleanliness and health.

If the girl lived a life as solitary as it seemed, she had obviously done so long enough to learn to take care of her self. She seemed totally self sufficient, something Sesshomaru never would have thought a human woman capable of. His experience had shown them to be even weaker than their male counterparts, relying on them for protection and their basic needs. It added to his understanding that she was _different_.

As though his thoughts had reached her even in slumber, the girl murmured softly to herself. Sesshomaru froze as she shifted position, turning onto her other side and presenting him with her back. In no time at all she had slipped back into the deep sleep of earlier.

Her face was now hidden from view and Sesshomaru found his eyes drifting downward. The quilt that had been covering her from neck to toes her gotten twisted, slipping askew until it only reached her waist. The lower half of her body was covered to her knees by the fabric of her skirt. That, too, had bunched up on her relocation, leaving her calves and feet bare.

The room was dark, with only the faintest of light coming from the banked fire. Even so, Sesshomaru's demon blood had given him eyes that saw nearly as clearly at night as in broad daylight. He was able to make out the smallest of details . . .including the thick scars that wound their way up the girl's legs to her knees.

**x**

Miroku stood at the door of the chapel, looking out over the courtyard as it was pelted by a late afternoon rain. Both the carpenter Inuyasha had hired and the maid he had promised to send had come and gone. The "guest" room now sported fresh blankets on the bed and a newly crafted bar on the door. All that remained to be added was the room's occupant.

While he waited for Inuyasha to return with his new roommate, he tried to recall every word that he'd been told about her. There wasn't much, but the little there was seemed most promising. She certainly didn't sound like the same type of woman he'd been surrounded with recently.

A vague look entered his eyes and his smile loosened as he recalled a few of those women. He'd been welcomed into the community with open arms, in some cases, literally. The younger women seemed enthralled with his smooth talk and were more than a little eager to spend time with him. The older ladies of the village were grateful to him for filling the need for a spiritual leader and he nicer wanted for a hot meal at the end of the day.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he caught a flash of movement from the corner of his eye. Turning towards it, he watched as Kikyo walked slowly in his direction with Inuyasha trailing along behind. One of his arms was around the waist of the girl at his side, supporting her weight as she limped along. Miroku refocused his attention fully on the girl and froze.

Pale, unblemished skin peeked through thick sable hair. Using Inuyasha as a guide, he could tell that she was tall and that every inch of her was long and lean. It was all on display, encased as it was in the tight, leather like material of her outfit. Even battered, bruised, and nearly falling down with exhaustion, she was stunning.

"Move," Inuyasha grunted as the small group reached the church's door. Belatedly coming back to his sense, Miroku stepped out of the way. He trailed the small party back the hall, watching as the girl settled onto the bed. Kikyo knelt at her feet, clasping the girl's hands within her own.

"Just remember that this is only temporary, Sango. After you've had time to rest and heal, we'll . . .you and Inuyasha will talk things out and resolve this whole thing." She stood then, smiling faintly. "Kaede is taking excellent care of Kohaku and you can see him again tomorrow. Until then, we'll just leave you in Miroku's capable hands."

A muffled snort from Inuyasha earned him an elbow to the ribs from Kikyo. Miroku kept a serene expression on his face as the couple took their leave. Once the door closed behind them, he turned to the woman seated before him - Sango, he now knew. Mimicking Kikyo's previous position, he dropped to his knees at her feet.

"Miss Sango, please know that I will do everything in my power to make our stay a pleasant one." Gazing up at her with a sincere look, he realized that she was even more beautiful up close. Her eyes were a deep velvet brown, mysteriously deep and full of shadows. A straight, pert nose rested over full lips tinted the faintest shade of ripe pink.

His fingers twitched.

_Slap!_

"Pervert!"

Even injured, the strength behind her blow had him skidding across the floor on his side. He tumbled right through the open door before coming to a painful halt against the opposite wall. Looking up, he saw Sango framed in the doorway, her loose hair flowing over her shoulders and her dark eyes flashing fire.

She was magnificent.

Miroku flinched as she slammed the door hard enough to knock the bar into place on the outside. Once the echo of the bang died down, he got to his feet and brushed himself off. For several long moments he stared blankly into the space in front of him before sauntering down the hall with a smile.

It looked like things were about to get interesting.

Kagome paced restlessly by the door of her bedroom. Most of the castle was asleep and she had yet to have the planned talk with Inuyasha. First it had been delayed while they got Sango settled in with Miroku. On their way back inside they had come across Kaede, who had requested her help with Kohaku. By the time that all his injuries had been seen to and Kaede declared he would survive, dinner was about to be served. Not having eaten since breakfast, Kagome decided to wait until after the meal to seek Inuyasha out.

It was then his turn to be occupied, right in the middle of a meeting with his troops. In a hurried whisper as he pulled her out of sight, he told her to put Shippo to bed and they'd speak when he was through. After a moment's hesitation, he had leaned closer and kissed her cheek before striding quickly in the other direction.

Now, nearly an hour later, Kagome raised her hand to the still tingling spot. It had been such an open and unexpected gesture that she hadn't seen it coming and had no time to brace herself for it. A shock had shot up her spine as a cloud of warmth filled her. Under any other circumstance, she would have found it incredibly sweet. As it was, trapped in a situation beyond her control, it merely made her want to cry.

By admitting to herself that she was in love with Inuyasha, she had started a chain reaction of realizations. She knew that she had to do what was right for him, and that meant telling him the truth. Although Kikyo had masterminded the plan and forced her into going along with it, she herself was far from completely innocent. Whether he would admit it or not, Inuyasha was going to be hurt when he learned she'd been lying to him.

And therein lay her problem. She knew him well enough to know that his hurt would take the form of anger. While she didn't believe he would do her physical harm, she had no doubt that he would lash out in some way. After what she'd done, she doubted he'd ever want to see her again.

Tears sprang to life in her eyes at the thought. Her sadness grew as she envisioned her future stretching out in front of her, long and empty. She knew that there was no way she'd love anyone the way that she loved Inuyasha, but even if she did, marriage would be out of the question. As soon as the story got out -and it would- people would assume that she'd played the role of wife in _all_ ways. She'd be considered tainted goods.

Worse than any labels would be the way they'd look at her. Kagome didn't think that she could bear to see accusing and disgusted eyes peering out at her from the faces of people she'd considered friends. And what would her family think when they learned the truth? She groaned as she pictured their reactions, halting her pacing to lean against the wall.

There was only one solution. She was going to have to leave. Maybe if she put enough distance between herself and the entire town, she would be able to make it through somehow. While she doubted she would ever forget the people or recent events, maybe time as well as space would dim the pain.

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a knock on the door. She barely had time to collect herself when it opened and Inuyasha poked his head inside. Seeing that she was awake, he pushed the door further open but remained standing in the doorway.

Silence stretched between them. Kagome knew she should just get it over with, but the words seemed to have deserted her. A faint sweat broke out on her upper lip and her mouth felt as dry as a desert. She swallowed in an attempt to remedy that and fisted her hands in her skirt to still their trembling.

Inuyasha wasn't handling the wait any better. He balanced on the balls of his feet and then rolled his shoulders while pointedly not looking at her. The action drew Kagome's eye to his previously injured arm. It had been hanging uselessly at his side the last time she had noticed it; now it looked like it was back to normal.

It seemed like a safe enough issue to start with, and so Kagome cleared her throat. "Your shoulder seems to be better."

He flexed as if to prove the truth of her words. "Demon blood. I heal fast."

Kagome nodded before lapsing back into silence. The talk was not going the way she had hoped. The right words had not come to mind and leapt off her tongue. They were both ill at ease and nervous, unsure of what to say or do. She suppressed a sigh of frustration. This was not how she'd wanted her last conversation with him to go.

She froze in reaction to her own thought. Her last conversation with Inuyasha . . .the last time she'd be able to look into his golden eyes . . .the last time she'd have the urge to brush aside his silvery hair . . .the last time she'd have the urge to tweak his ears . . .

Kagome pressed a hand to her chest as she was struck with the feeling that she couldn't breathe. She wanted to cry, to scream, to beg whatever greater powers there might be to give her just a little more time. Just one more day, just the chance to make one more memory to carry with her through the rest of her lonely life.

A gentle touch on her arm caused her to look up. Inuyasha had moved away from the door and come to stand directly in front of her. As she looked into his concerned face, the reaction she had been hoping for earlier suddenly came over her. Words rolled out of her mouth, unplanned and unchecked, expressing the strongest, most powerful thought in her mind at that moment.

"Stay with me tonight."


	22. Precious Illusions

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Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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General Reminder:

_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

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Chapter Twenty-Two

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Precious Illusions

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Kagome was not by nature either an early or a quick riser. She preferred to spend as much time as she could asleep or, if that wasn't possible, in the next best state: the area between waking and slumber. She loved it, that place where you recognized and appreciated the warmth of your blankets even while you walked among the clouds in your dreams.

_It was, to her way of thinking, the closest you could get to having a perfect moment. You had the power to start it off in exactly the manner that you wanted, ensuring the perfect setting and details. After that, you received the added bonus of your subconscious mind taking over and carrying you with it as it wandered down unexpected paths._

Her current position was the perfect example of why that was her favorite time. From the part of her that was awake, albeit grudgingly so, Kagome knew she was in bed. There was the familiar sensation of the soft pillow and mattress beneath her and the clinging weight of the quilt over her. The sleep hazed portion of her mind, influenced by unadmitted fantasies and the desire for a reason not to get up yet, supplied . . .something more.

An extra source of warmth lay behind her; a possessive arm was resting heavily around her waist. She could feel long strands of hair brushing against her cheek and shoulder. She smiled lazily as she imagined the mix of her own raven tresses with another's silvery ones pooling across her pillow.

And that was where her subconscious must have taken over. How else would she, who had never slept in the same bed as anyone, not even a family member, be able to imagine the rhythmic rise and fall of the chest of the person behind her as he breathed? How else would she know the feeling of that same breath tickling damply across the nape of her neck?

Humming contentedly, Kagome snuggled more deeply into both the bedding and the illusion. In response to her movements, the grip around her body tightened and a nose nuzzled just beneath her ear. With a sound that was halfway between a sigh and a whine, her companion shifted before settling back down.

A small frown furrowed Kagome's brow at the noise. There was something about it that seemed . . .off, too real somehow.

Whatever it was, it had caught her attention enough to break the fragile hold she had on sleep. With her eyes still firmly closed, she began the slow and unwelcome task of coming fully awake. As the final step in the process, she abandoned the dream for reality, but not before taking a moment to appreciate it. The sensation of being held so closely by Inuyasha was bittersweet due to her knowledge that it wasn't likely to happen for real. Today was the day that she'd tell him the truth about her deception. Once she did, the last thing he would want to do was be in the same room with her, let alone the same bed. It was destined to remain an unfulfilled fantasy, kept company by a dozen others of a similar vein.

Grudgingly relinquishing her creation, Kagome forced her eyes to open. It took a moment for them to adjust to the sudden burst of light. The second that they did, she found herself facing a sight that had her blinking in disbelief. She closed her eyes quickly, squeezing them as tightly shut as she could manage. She then cracked one eyelid open in slow motion in the hope that the previous speed was the cause behind her seeing what she thought she just saw.

It wasn't.

The view was the same as it had been moments before. There, just an inch from her nose, lay the very combination of hair that she had envisioned. Ebony and silver combined themselves into a wave of contrasting beauty. A quick downward glance showed the arm to be just as real, bare, muscled, and wrapped firmly about her middle. The breaths on her neck continued unabated.

Slowly, a bit at a time, pieces of the previous night came drifting back to her. She remembered her decision to come clean with Inuyasha and deal with whatever problems her honesty gave rise to. Inuyasha had come to her room and she'd been engulfed with the realization of all that she would be giving up. His gesture to comfort her had broken something inside her and she'd found herself asking him to stay.

She'd meant for it to be another of their talks about anything and everything. She'd meant to store up images and memories to take with her into the bleak seeming future. There'd also been a vague idea about testing the waters about her standing in his eyes. She had been aiming for some clue about what his reaction would be like.

Kagome couldn't say for sure when her intentions had changed because it hadn't been a conscious thing. Maybe it had been after her invitation when his look of shock had melted into one of unchecked pleasure. Maybe it had been when the slow, shy smile tipped his mouth, or when the faintest hint of pink had taken up residence in his cheeks.

Whatever the cause, she found herself reaching for him, drawing him to her. His initial surprise quickly disappeared as his arms closed around her in return. After that, there were no words, just soft sighs and the sound of their breathing in the quiet room.

Kagome's cheeks burned as the fast-returning memories coincided with her gaze locking onto one of her under things hanging from a wall sconce. She averted her eyes only to be faced with seeing the rest of her clothing littering the floor, nestled with Inuyasha's in a manner closely resembling their owners'. It was like a visual monument to what had happened in the night.

It was too much for Kagome to bear. What had felt so right at the time now loomed as the biggest mistake she had ever made in her life. While she couldn't bring herself to regret what she had done, the fact still remained that it never should have happened. Tears welled in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks as she pulled away from Inuyasha and leapt from the bed. Groping blindly, she grabbed for something to cover herself with. She caught hold of Kikyo's loaned dressing gown and dragged it around her body. All the while, there was one single thought pulsing through her mind.

'What have I done?'

**x**

Inuyasha knew and accepted that he wasn't an expert on females. He knew that he wasn't an expert on humans. He also knew that he wasn't an expert on morning afters. Adding all that knowledge together made it clear that he certainly wasn't an expert on morning afters with human females, especially ones that happened to be his wife.

Even with all of that, he figured he could tell the basic good signs from the bad ones. She was still beside him when he woke up - good sign. She was wearing a sweet smile in her sleep - good sign. She leapt out of bed sobbing before turning to look at him with dismay burning in her eyes - bad sign.

Very bad sign.

Inuyasha sat up and rested his back against the headboard as he sought to gather himself. While he'd been awake for quite some time, there was just something about being torn from peaceful contemplation and thrust into obviously treacherous waters that required some getting used to.

Kikyo had jumped at his first movement, backing away as far as the walls of the room would allow. Her foot got entangled in some of the clothing on the floor - his pants, he saw - and stumbled. When she looked down to free herself and saw what she was caught on, her pale face flushed red. She yanked her foot out and kicked his pants several feet away. The action knocked her off balance and she stumbled into the wall, striking her shoulder forcefully.

Wincing at the audible thump, Inuyasha stretched a hand in her direction. "Kikyo," he began, then stopped as she blanched and all the color vanished from her face. He remained silent and still, unwilling to say or do anything that might disturb her any further.

After a long moment, she seemed to calm down. He heard her take several deep breaths as her hands fisted in her robe. She had avoided meeting his eyes thus far, carefully directing her gaze at the other parts of the room. Now she looked him full in the face and he immediately wished she hadn't. The sadness and regret she wore in her expression caused something in his stomach to clench. He remembered her declaration from the day before and the wave of unease that it had caused. It returned now as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Inuyasha!"

He was so wrapped up in bracing himself for whatever blow she might deliver that it took several moments to realize that Kikyo wasn't the one who had spoken. The voice had come from somewhere outside of the room and was disturbingly familiar. It was only when it came again that Inuyasha recognized it and learned that it was coming closer.

Only one demon had the ability to roar his name in that exact tone and at that exact volume. He had heard it many times throughout his youth and knew that it could mean only one thing. His father had come to call and he wanted to see his youngest son . . .NOW.

Inuyasha jumped from the bed even faster than Kikyo had moments before. Dropping the quilt and ignoring his wife's subsequent gasp, he fumbled around for his clothes. Hurriedly yanking them on, he headed for the door.

"I'm sorry, but this is going to have to wait a little while longer. I have to handle this first." He offered her a small smile as he quit the room. As he made his way down the hall, he was unable to repress the feeling that he'd lucked into a small reprieve. It was like earning a stay of execution for his newly formed and vulnerable dreams. The threat had been postponed, not eliminated, and the knowledge of its continued existence left a bad taste in his mouth.

As Inuyasha vanished through the bedroom doorway, Kagome could barely keep herself from collapsing into a boneless heap on the floor. It had been all that she could do to look at his face after what had taken place the night before. Just when she had drummed up every ounce of courage in her body to broach the subject, that voice had called his name. Judging by the look on his face, Inuyasha had recognized the voice's owner and didn't think he should ignore it.

'Or maybe he wanted an excuse not to listen. That worried expression that he was wearing could have meant that he knew something bad was coming and he wanted to avoid it being said. It could be proof that he has feelings for me.'

Kagome forcefully tamped down the hopeful voice in the back of her mind. It would be horrible if Inuyasha developed feelings for her, making her deception all the more painful. As much as it hurt for her to think that he didn't care, it would be so much worse for him if he did. She'd bear the pain gladly if it kept him from having to, which meant she needed to be honest with him as soon as possible, before she did anymore damage.

She dressed as quickly as she could in the plainest outfit that Kikyo owned. She wanted to feel as much like herself as she could, and being draped in rich fabrics didn't help that effort.

Slipping through the halls with quiet steps, Kagome kept reminding herself that it was all for the best when her stride began to falter. That determination led her to a room brimming with noise and activity. She wanted to get a feel for the situation before she barged inside, so she stopped outside the doorway. Leaning against the wall, she listened to the conversation going on inside.

". . .runner arrived asking about Sesshomaru." The unknown voice was obviously a male, deep with authority. Although it had been faint before, Kagome thought there was a good chance it was the same person who'd been yelling Inuyasha's name.

"So Sesshomaru hadn't gotten back yet? That seems a little odd." Inuyasha was speaking, his tone thoughtful. "I assumed he was heading straight there once he left here, and that was yesterday morning."

"You know your brother; there could be any number of reasons why he was delayed. I don't think there's anything to get worried about. He'll turn up soon enough."

"Enough of this." The new voice was a woman this time. "You know what I want to hear about, and I'm not going to wait any longer for you to get around to it. I want to know what she's like."

"Who?" Inuyasha's dry tone made it clear that he knew exactly who she was talking about but wasn't going to admit it.

There was a slightly exasperated sigh. "Kikyo, of course."

In the hall, Kagome stiffened.

"What do you want to know about her for?"

"The woman in my daughter-in-law now, and a part of the family. I should know _something_ about her. And besides that, I'm entrusting my son to her, and I need to know that she's up to the challenge of looking after you."

"I think you got that backwards. I look after her, not the other way . . ." His voice trailed off and Kagome knew that he was thinking about her timely arrival during the fight with Sango. "Anyway, it seems rude to just talk about her. You can visit her later and get to know her for yourself. Is that all right, Mother?"

"So where is she right now? I can speak with her and you boys can finish your talk about Sesshomaru and whatever boring topics you're sure to broach next."

"Wait!" Inuyasha's voice held almost as much panic as Kagome felt. "She's still in bed, so you probably shouldn't disturb her just now."

There was a snicker, then the unknown male voice spoke once more. "Still in bed, eh? I don't have to ask why."

"Dad!"

"Dear!"

_Dad? Mother?_ The unknown visitors were none other than Inuyasha's parents. In the hallway, Kagome hesitated. There was no way she could go storming in there to tell him the truth now. It would be too horrible and embarrassing for the both of them. It would be better to do when they could be alone, maybe after his aprents left . . .

She cut that line of thinking off as soon as she realized what she was doing. There could be no more delays; the truth had to come out. The new arrivals simply called for a change in plans. She would find another way to tell him everything and then she would be on her way.

As she moved back the way she had come, Kagome found an idea forming in her mind. It wasn't nearly as noble as approaching Inuyasha directly with her story, but she had a feeling it might be the only way she would be able to say everything that needed to be said without breaking down. She would just have to hope that he would understand her reasons behind doing it that way.

First things first, she had to find Kaede.


	23. So Much For Pretending

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Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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General Reminder:

_All references to Kikyo mean Kagome unless that section is in Kaede, Kagome, or the real Kikyo's POV._

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Chapter Twenty-Three

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So Much For Pretending

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Kagome found Kaede quickly and with little fuss since the older woman was in the place everyone knew was the most likely for her to be. She looked up from changing Kohaku's bandages when Kagome burst into the room, out of breath and obviously distressed. Her deft hands quickly finishing her task, she turned a concerned face toward the girl she had come to regard with fondness.

"What's the matter, child?" she asked when it became clear Kagome wasn't going to start on her own. She wished she had waited when, instead of the explanation that she had expected, she was met with a flood of tears instead.

Kaede might have been old, but she wasn't a fool. She had seen the changed in the relationship between the hanyou lord and his "bride". She'd seen them and mourned them, knowing they didn't bode well. Cursing her niece and the self involved nature that had gotten them all into the mess, she had watched and waited for the web of deception to collapse.

She sighed sadly as she gazed at the sobbing girl in front of her. It looked like she didn't have to wait any longer.

Not wanting to risk their conversation being overheard, Kaede crossed the room and pulled the door closed. As she turned, she cast a quick glance over the patient but quickly dismissed him as a threat to their secrecy. While his condition had improved notably, there was little chance that he had recovered enough to eavesdrop, intentionally or not. There would be no danger in talking in front of him.

That resolved, Kaede moved to the still crying girl and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. She knew it would be better for Kagome to get her tears out of her system before trying to speak about what was upsetting her. She waited, occasionally offering a gentle pat on the back or a quiet whisper of reassurance. When the storm of tears finally passed, she pulled back in order to see the girl's face, but she still didn't speak. This time she would allow Kagome to take the lead and begin only when she felt ready to talk about her problems.

Wiping at her cheeks, Kagome took a deep, shuddering breath. She closed her eyes as though she needed to focus and gather her strength. Finally she opened them, giving a little nod to show that she was ready.

She cut right to the chase. "I can't do this anymore." She rushed into her reasons without giving Kaede time to speak. "I never wanted to be involved in this situation in the first place, if you remember. Kikyo forced me into it. I've always known that it was wrong, and I've never enjoyed it, but it was the only was to keep my family safe. I didn't feel like I had an choice.

"I never expected to like him," she continued, starting to pace in the small bit of open floor. "I thought that he would be some domineering, bossy idiot, and he is. But that's not _all_ he is." Her face turned wistful and her steps slowed. "There's this whole other side to him that he keeps hidden. He can be so kind, and sweet, and gentle . . ."

Kagome paused, bowing her head so that her hair momentarily hid her expression. When she looked up, her face bore equal amounts of pain and determination. "Over the past few weeks, I've really gotten to know Inuyasha. He's a good person, a good ruler. In the short amount of time that he's been here, he's mad a lot of improvements and changes for the better. He's fixed problems that Kikyo never even bothered to learn existed. I known that Kikyo is your niece, but Inuyasha is the one who deserves to rule these lands. He's earned it . . .and he's earned the right to know the truth."

Kaede watched as Kagome braced her shoulders in preparation for an argument. It was an argument that wouldn't come. Every point that she had brought up had been valid, and Kaede hadn't failed to notice them all for herself. She'd had her doubts about Kikyo's competency as a leader even before the situation with Inuyasha had arisen. Her manipulative handling of it had merely sealed Kaede's opinion.

"I agree with you," she told Kagome. Her tone was calm and her voice was even. The small bit of sadness she felt faded quickly. Her blood tie to Kikyo was something that couldn't be changed, and she would always feel a bit of loyalty because of it. But the simple truth of the matter was her niece was not fit to be a ruler when she cared so little for the people she was supposed to be in charge of. Half demon or not, Inuyasha had been fair and kind, giving the village its first experience with a wise leader since the death of Kikyo's father many years before.

"Wh-what?"

A small smile quirked Kaede's lips as she noted the disbelief in Kagome's voice. "Kikyo is my family and I love her. But I am not so blinded by that as to ignore her faults. I was against this charade as well, and I understand if you don't want to continue it." Kagome's shoulders slumped in relief as the disagreement she had expected ended before it began. She seemed to deflate, looking small and pale in the room's dim light. Kaede wished she could let it go at that, but there was one question that still needed answering.

She kept her voice as gentle as she could possibly make it. "I'm not going to try and change your mind. I'm on your side with this decision, and I will help you in any way that I can. But there's one thing I'd like to know: This has been going on for weeks; why now? What happened to make it impossible for you to continue on as Kikyo?"

There was a long pause as Kagome gathered her thoughts. Kaede could only imagine the reasons running through her mind. She doubted the girl would admit to all of her feelings; it was even possible she had yet to discover them for herself. She also doubted they were the only trigger for her decision. If she knew anything about Kagome, and she was sure that she did, it would have taken something big to cause her to cry off.

She was right.

"His parents are here. I heard him talking to them. It's just . . .I can't . . .I can't look them in the eye when I'm lying to their son! I just can't!" A bit of panic had entered her eyes and Kaede could see that it really bothered her. She tried once more to offer comfort, but Kagome was past that. "I have to tell him the truth, Kaede, and I have to do it now. I can't put it off any longer. I'll tell him . . .and then I have to leave."

Kagome walked quickly down the hall, a sense of desperation speeding her steps. Now that her decision had been made, she wanted to carry it out immediately. The longer she remained, the bigger the chance that something would go wrong. She would back out of telling the truth, or give up the idea of leaving, or, even worse, have to face Inuyasha or his parents.

Thankfully, she managed to make it to her room without running into anyone. As she pulled the door closed behind her, she leaned against it for a moment. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest and she was having a hard time slowing her breathing. Her mind felt fuzzy and her concentration was shot. Her thoughts kept jumping around, making it difficult to focus.

As soon as she was sure she could make the short walk without collapsing, Kagome hurried to the other side of the room and the wardrobe that rested beneath the window. Dropping to her knees, she began pulling items from it and piling them on the floor at her side. She chose the simplest of the clothing, the things with the least embroidery or other adornments. While she felt a little bad about taking Kikyo's clothing, she justified it by thinking it was the least the selfish girl could do. She had forced Kagome into this situation and, as a result, ruined her life. A few pieces of clothing was a small price to pay for that.

As she ruffled through the drawer looking for a specific item, she felt a spurt of guilt over deceiving Kaede. It wasn't that she had lied, exactly. She had just omitted a few parts of the story. She _was_ going to tell Inuyasha the truth . . .just not to his face. She _was_ going to leave . . .she just wasn't going back home when she did. Doing either of those things would have been far too painful. The thought of seeing Inuyasha's golden eyes burn with betrayal made her breath hitch and her throat tighten. It would be worse if she were to remain in the same village afterward. There was a good chance that their paths would cross, even if it was only rarely. But knowing, day in and day out, that he was so close and yet untouchable to her . . .it would kill her.

So she was going to leave it all behind. She would be able to spare her family the shameful truth about what she had done and put distance between herself and her weakness at the same time. She would simply tell them that her first job had led her to another, and that it was in a distant village. Once she found a place to settle in, she would resume contact with them. It didn't matter where she went, just so long as it was as far away as she could get.

Triumphantly pulling out a small bag, Kagome began shoving the chosen clothing inside of it. Since she was worried more about time and fitting as much as she could into it rather than wrinkles, the entire job took less than two minutes. She almost wished she had been more picky when she turned to tackle her next task. Approaching the desk in the corner with no small amount of trepidation, she seated herself in the chair and reached for a sheet of paper.

There were so many people that she was going to miss. Kaede had promised to look out for Shippo for her, and to make sure that Sango was taken care of in an appropriate manner. She didn't bother mentioning Kohaku's care, knowing already that the older woman would treat him to the best of her abilities. All that was left to be seen to was Inuyasha.

It was hard, as she soon discovered, to pen the words that were sure to cause great pain to the person most dear to you. With every sentence that she completed, another small shard of her heart broke off and crumbled to dust. Only the knowledge that it was truly best for him to know allowed her to finish the letter without breaking into tears.

Kagome sealed the letter and left it in the middle of Kikyo's bed. Inuyasha was sure to come looking for her sooner or later, and she wanted him to find it right away. Hefting the bag over her shoulder, she headed for the door without looking back.

**x**

It had taken him almost an hour, but Inuyasha had finally managed to convince his parents to allow him time to prepare Kikyo for meeting them. He had had to call on every reason he could remember overhearing -and a few he invented on the spot- to do it, but he was quite pleased with the result. They had all agreed that breakfast together the next morning would be soon enough. His parents would use the extra time to look around and get to know some of the people.

Inuyasha wasn't going to waste a moment of the time he managed to buy. As soon as they turned to head outside, he hurried towards the stairs. The servants were treated to a red and white blur racing through the halls towards the second floor.

Due to the speed with which he had left he earlier, he had no idea how Kikyo was feeling. Hell, he wasn't sure how _he_ was feeling. It had been so sudden, her reaching for him. It was like another person was in control and he watched from a distant part of his own consciousness. There was a large portion of his mind that refused to believe that it had really happened and been more than just a dream.

He needed to talk to her. He needed to know what she was thinking and how she would act around him. It was especially important, due to his parents' visit, that they present some kind of a united front, unaffected by insecurity and embarrassment . It would also be as good a time as any to warn her about the . . .eccentricities in their natures.

Even with all the uncertainties hanging over his head, he felt a sense of anticipation at seeing Kikyo again. Regardless of the path their conversation took, he had a need just to look at her again, to see her face and hear her voice. He found a strange sort of comfort in being near her. It was a little alarming to be so connected to someone, but invigorating at the same time. Every meeting with her brought a new realization and a sense of excitement to his life.

The letter was lying in the center of Kikyo's bed. Approaching it curiously, Inuyasha noticed his name written across the front in a small, neat hand. He picked it up, sitting down on the edge of the bed as he sliced it open with the tip of one claw. As he unfolded the single sheet of paper, Kikyo's scent came wafting up at him. He took a moment to study her handwriting before he began reading, smiling a bit at the oddness of his curiosity. The smile faded quickly as he read what she had written.


	24. Running Away

**Another's Name, But My Heart**

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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General Reminder:

_Kagome will now be known as Kagome and Kikyo will mean the real Kikyo, no matter whose POV it is._

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Thanks so much for the 200 reviews!!

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Chapter Twenty-Four

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Running Away

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_Dear Inuyasha,_

_I know that this is going to come as a shock, but there's something that you have to know. I'm not who you think I am . . ._

After the first few sentences, Inuyasha felt his entire body freeze as though slowly being encased in ice. His eyes widened as he read the words she had written, all the while a voice at the back of his mind screamed in denial. There was no way Kikyo would have lied to him as she wrote that she had. There was no way that Kikyo would have pulled him into her arms if she was hiding such a secret. There was no way Kikyo would just leave after dropping such a bombshell.

But then, the woman he had thought was Kikyo apparently wasn't Kikyo at all.

As soon as he realized where the confession was going, he wanted to stop reading it. Although it was a childish reaction, he had some vague hopes that if he didn't finish it, it wouldn't be true. In the end, he forced himself to continue, the need to know it all overriding even the pain the words brought to his chest. He didn't stop until he reached the bottom of the paper. There, his focus found a new target. A signature, far different from the one he had been expecting.

Kagome.

Not Kikyo.

Kagome.

A tidal wave of rage swelled inside him as he faced the implications of what he had just learned. If the woman who had occupied that room and written the letter he had found inside it wasn't Kikyo, it caused a lot of problems. Not only was their marriage a sham, but his claim to the lands would also be in question. The agreement to avoid fighting had been made after the switch, which meant it was meaningless. Eve if Kikyo didn't find some way to defeat him, she still had the option of claiming his entitlement was unlawful, since it had been gained in the way that it had.

Crumbling the paper in his fist, Inuyasha rose and paced with short, jerky steps. He had been played from the moment he had stepped onto Kikyo's lands, and now he was back to where he had started from. The domain he had so recently thought of with pride as belonging to him really didn't. If he wanted to claim them -rightfully- he would be drawn into the battle he had been so pleased to avoid. People would get hurt, and the peaceful air of the area would be shattered and lost forever.

Would the villagers still accept him so readily if he were forced to bring down their neighbors and sons during battle?

Would they still speak of him as wise when they learned that all he had acquired could be taken from him in one fell swoop?

Would the people still respect him if they found out that he had been duped by two women?

A growl rumbled from his throat. Kikyo and Kagome. Witches cloaked in almost identical skins of innocence. It was hard for him to decide which he loathed more. Kikyo had acted like the spoiled child he now knew her to be, running away from things she didn't like rather than facing them head-on and dealing with them. Kagome . . .Kagome had lied. She had lied to his face, with her words and her shy glances, with her offers of friendship and her phony smiles . . .

Yes, he definitely despised Kagome more. Whatever her reasons, whether it was truly to protect her family as she would have him believe, there would have been another way. She could have told him the truth in the beginning and asked for his help. Didn't she know that she could trust him?

No, he thought, a spate of inner honesty braking into his thoughts. In the beginning, she had known nothing about him. She had never even seen a demon before and had nothing to go on regarding their tendencies other than storied meant to frighten small children into obedience. She would have had to have been an idiot to trust him right away.

But now, after the weeks they had spent together, she had to have known him a little. She should have known she could trust him with her story . . . His eyes dropped to the wrinkled ball of paper peeking through his fingers. In the end, she had admitted the truth but hadn't had enough faith in his reaction to do it to his face. Instead, she had taken the coward's way out by jotting a few lines and then running like the wind.

Grinding his teeth together forcefully, Inuyasha threw the letter as hard as he could. There was a nearly silent impact followed by a whisper of sound as the missive dropped to the floor and out of sight. He turned away angrily, his eyes taking in the room as he did so, noticing what he hadn't upon his entrance. At the many and varied signs of her desertion, a new flash of anger rose inside of him. He stomped from the room, wanting to distance himself from the place that smelled like her, _felt_ like her. Slamming the door with satisfying force, he made a vow to himself as he stormed down the hall. He would hold onto the lands that he had gained, no matter what it took. No sacrifice would be too much to turn him from accomplishing his goal. This kingdom would be his, rightfully and without question.

As for Kagome, she could vanish for all he cared. If he never saw her again, it would be too soon. There was no place in his life for liars.

...

It had been easier than Kagome had anticipated to slip unnoticed from the castle and through the courtyard. Although there were a large number of people milling around, they were all preoccupied by the tasks that they were involved in. She could only guess that the unexpected arrival of Inuyasha's parents had caused the distraction, and for that she was grateful.

The walk towards her home was an eye-opening experience. Streets that she had once traveled over almost daily seemed strange and unfamiliar. Many of the buildings had changed drastically, beneficiaries of the rash of upgrades and improvements that Inuyasha had instituted. The people, too, were different from when she had seen them last. Gone were the worried and helpless expressions of villagers at the mercy of a situation they couldn't control. It was more than just the relief of an aborted war; it was the contentment of a life that had become easier and seemed destined to remain that way.

Guilt swelled within her at each and every change she noted. Inuyasha had done so very many good things and in the end, it could all be taken from him. The worst part was that a lot of the blame could be laid at her feet. She had served him the worst injustice imaginable, and nothing could change that.

The sight of the small house that she had grown up in rising into view brought a sheen of tears into her eyes. She wanted to rush inside and turn and run in the other direction at the same time. As much as she longed for the comfort of her family and familiar surroundings, Kagome knew her mother. It would only take a moment for the older woman to know that something was wrong with her only daughter. Kagome knew that her only hope was to convince her mother that her depression was caused by the prospect of leaving her family behind once more for her new job.

Kagome paused at the door, unsure of whether or not to knock before entering. The decision was taken from her when it was thrown open and she saw her mother framed in the doorway. One second they were standing a foot apart, staring at each other, and the next they were wrapped in each other's arms, laughing and crying at the same time.

The effusive greeting set the tone of the rest of the visit. Before she knew it, Kagome was ushered inside and given the best seat at the table. Souta was out, but her grandfather sat in his traditional spot by the fire. He proved how much he had missed her by actually rising to his feet in order to give her a hug.

The afternoon and evening passed quickly as she spoke with her mother and grandfather, and to Souta as well when he returned. They wanted to know about everything that she had be doing during their time apart, and she struggled to answer them as honestly as possible. She explained about the castle, describing the rooms, servants, and other perks while her mother placed a simple dinner on the table for them all. It was well past midnight before they all turned in for the night.

_._The sun had barely crested the horizon when Kagome said goodbye amongst hugs and promises to visit that she didn't intend to keep. The bag on her back was twice as full as it had been before, packed with her own clothes and the bundle of food her mother wouldn't hear of her leaving without. Its weight was comforting, like an echo of the sensation of her mother's arms around her.

She kept to the main road on her way out of the village, nodding to the people she knew but not stopping to talk. Haste was the thing foremost in her mind and she didn't want to be slowed down by idle chatter. After what she had done to him, she doubted Inuyasha would come after her, and she didn't blame him. But if she was wrong and he _did_ follow, she wanted any potential confrontation to be as far from prying eyes as possible. It wouldn't be fair for her family to suffer gossip due to her own foolish choices.

As she left the town behind, she began paying closer attention to her surroundings. When she was sure that no one was watching, she slipped off the path and into the woods that edged it. Ducking behind a tree, she dug through her bag until she located the thick woolen cloak bundled at the bottom of it. It was wrapped around a shirt and pants belonging to Souta that she had swiped when no one was looking.

Discarding her dress and all the trappings it required, she pulled on the masculine clothes. The pants were a bit tight about her hips, but they would do nicely until she could find better fitting ones. The shirt was loose enough to conceal her figure, but she decided to cover it with the cloak just to be safe. As she slipped it on, she pulled the hood over her head so that her features were completely disguised.

When she retook the road once more, she was no longer Kagome Higurashi. In her own mind and, she hoped, in the minds of anyone who saw her, she was just another nameless, faceless traveler. She was counting on the anonymity afforded her by her outfit to keep anyone from getting too close. At that point, curiosity was as much her enemy as ill intent from any thieves she was likely to meet. The smaller the amount of attention she garnered, the better.

...

The figure stood in the thickest part of the tree line, seeing everything but remaining unknown to those he watched. His posture was negligent; his arms crossed over his chest and his hip braced against the trunk at his side. Despite the air of laziness that everything down to his half-closed eyes implied, he was actually very much in touch with what was happening around him.

It took a scant few seconds for the cloaked figure striding down the path to catch his attention. It wasn't so much her -he knew it was a woman immediately, in spite of her apparent attempts to hide it- as the scent that clung to her like an unwelcome musk. A cocky smirk tilted his lips as he pushed away from the tree, fully focused on the woman before. Matching his steps to hers, the dark-haired man followed along, planning his revenge as he went.

'Now I'll make you pay, Inuyasha.'

...


	25. One Way or Another

Another's Name, But My Heart  
By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

**General Reminder: **_Kagome will now be known as Kagome and Kikyo will mean the real Kikyo, no matter whose POV it is._

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**Chapter 25**

_One Way or Another  
_**… … … …**

The Great Hall was a room of massive proportions, designed to serve a dual purpose. The first was as the main dining area for almost everyone in residence of the castle, and even some who merely lived near it. The second use was as the place where much of the business of running a country was carried out. It was the room where the villagers came to petition or complain, and its dimensions seemed equal to the task of holding them all at once.

A cheerful, bustling place when it was full, when empty, it gave off a hollow, almost melancholy feeling. The somber air was a match to the mood of one of the room's current occupants. Inuyasha, finally past pacing, sat slumped in the Lord's chair at the head table. His anger had since turned into a burning resentment, fueled by a million small reminders of how he had been betrayed not once, but twice. Simply taking his seat had hammered once more into his mind that his claim to the traditional ruler's seat, both figurative and literal, was now in jeopardy.

Miroku stood before him, having chosen to remain on his feet in spite of the abundance of empty chairs. His hands were folded before him and he maintained an air of calm as he waited for Inuyasha to speak. It was clear the hanyou had a lot on his mind and just as clear that he wasn't ready to begin talking about it quite yet.

Shifting slightly, Miroku allowed his mind to drift back to the woman residing with him while he waited. Sango: just her name sent a thrill down his spine and he gave a mental sigh. After that first greeting and being on the receiving end of her own brand of welcome, he had been unable to get her out of his mind. The minutes and hours had seemed to drag on and on until it was time for dinner. Seizing the excuse, he had rushed to deliver her meal to her room . . .and get a chance to look at her while doing it, of course.

His fascination with her had only increased when she ignored him pointedly from the moment that he walked through the door. She had even gone so far as to turn in another direction, staring at the wall while offering him an uninterrupted view of her back.

It no doubt would have infuriated her to learn that he hadn't minded; for that reason alone, he was determined to tell her so. That would come later, though. As it was, he had spent the entire time it took to lay out her meal studying her. He memorized the straight line of her back, admired the shining fall of her silken hair, and focused intently on the soft curves almost hidden by the mattress.

A glimmer of the same smile he had worn upon leaving her room threatened to return, but he forced it down. Given the waves of anger he was giving off, he doubted Inuyasha would appreciate it.

Miroku changed positions again, feeling the first stirrings of impatience. While he was more than willing to aide in Inuyasha's apparent dilemma in any way that he could, the minutes had begun to add up with no hint of a conversation. Anxious to return to his guest, he decided to take the risk of nudging the talk forward.

"Inuyasha, I think that it's safe to assume that anything that would cause you to call for me and for us to meet totally alone must be a grave issue. You only have to tell me what you need from me, and I will do my utmost to deliver it."

A few more seconds passed before Inuyasha finally began to speak. The words started off slowly, but by the time he reached the part about the letter, they were almost tumbling out over one another. Anger was the most obvious emotion, but Miroku was certain he detected a bit of resentment-tinged hurt lurking behind the more volatile sentiment. Knowing that there was more to the situation then Inuyasha would ever outright admit, Miroku knew he would have to listen to the things that weren't said just as much as the things that were.

Inuyasha ended his explanation with a simple statement. "This is where you come in."

Suddenly fully alert, Miroku titled his head in question. Inuyasha continued.

"I can't tell all of this to my parents." He raked a hand through his hair. "This is the first big thing I've done on my own; it would be nothing short of pathetic if they find out how screwed up it all is."

"I don't mean to be rude, but I think they might notice that your bride has suddenly gone missing. That's bound to raise a few questions."

Inuyasha gifted him with a look of exasperated disgust. "I'm not just going to not mention her and hope they don't notice, you know. I'm going to tell them that there was a family emergency somewhere else and that she had to take an unexpected trip. I'll say she didn't know how bad things were there and so there's no idea when she might get back. If I were lucky, they would go back home and reschedule the visit for another time."

"But . . ."

"But I know my parents, and I know they'll want to stay anyway. Which is why I need your help."

Miroku nodded solemnly even as an unsettling feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. It was clear that Inuyasha was planning something bigger than just temporarily misleading his parents, and he had a feeling he wasn't going to like whatever that plan was.

He was right.

"I want you to be a liaison of sorts for a group of scouts I'm sending out. They'll bring their reports to you, and you'll hold them until I come for them. If I have new orders for the men, you'll be in charge of passing them along. It's nothing difficult, but everything must be carried out in secret, most especially from my parents. Do you understand?"

"I do, but I'm afraid I might not be the best person for this job. I know very little about war and the like. Perhaps one of your other men might be better suited to the task . . ."

"No. You're the only one that both the scouts and I could be seen talking to without raising any questions. You're also the only one who wouldn't feel an obligation to tell my father about what we're doing."

"And what _are_ we doing, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

There was a slight pause as Inuyasha apparently considered whether or not to tell him. In the end he must have decided that he would figure it out sooner or later anyway, because he then explained his plan.

"Everything that I have here, I got through my 'wedding' to 'Kikyo'," Inuyasha said with sarcastic emphasis. "If anyone finds out that my claim isn't legitimate anymore, then all these lands would be in danger. Any number of greedy individuals, human and demon alike, would come to take advantage of the fact that Kikyo's gone and I'm not totally in charge anymore. Kikyo, the real one, has to be found and brought back, no matter what. That's what the scouts are going to be doing; looking for her."

"What are your plans once she's found?" Miroku asked, unable to curb his curiosity on the matter.

"There are only two possible actions that I could take. The first is start back where I left off: army versus army with the winner taking all. That's not what I want to do anymore. These people trust me; thrusting them back into a war they thought had been avoided will destroy that trust. I don't want them to suffer for something that wasn't their doing, either. Which leaves the second option.

"Once Kikyo is found and returned, I'm going to marry her. Again."

Miroku felt his eyes widen and his jaw loosen in shock. That was the last thing he had been expecting to hear. While they had had something of a rocky start, it had to have been clear to anyone with eyes that the lord and lady had formed a bond between. No matter who she was or wasn't, Inuyasha had clearly come to care for the woman he called his wife. For him to so callously speak of marrying someone else so soon was nearly unthinkable.

Unknowing or uncaring of his companion's shocked reaction, Inuyasha continued with his explanation. "It's past time that she took responsibility for the people who are under her control instead of running off like a spoiled child. Once we're wed and my claim to these lands are undeniable, I'll be able to pack her off somewhere where she can't do anymore harm with her immaturity."

"But . . .but what about Ki-Kagome?" Miroku asked, having to pause a moment to recall the name Inuyasha had spoken but once during his accountings.

Golden eyes flashing, Inuyasha rounded on him before he could blink. His hands were fisted at his sides and his voice dropped to a low growl as he replied. "I told you all of this because I had to have someone else's help, but that doesn't give you the right to question me. I'm going to tell you this once and then it never comes up again. That _girl,_" he spat the word like an insult, "is meaningless to everyone here. From this moment on, she as good as never existed. In fact, it'd be best if everyone forgot she was ever here. I know I have."

Miroku bowed slightly in acceptance and left, but not without noticing that Inuyasha had been unable to meet his eyes when he said it.

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The sun had reached and passed it's highest point before Kagome felt confident enough in the distance between herself and the village to stop. Breakfast had been an early and rushed affair, as her grumbling stomach had been reminding her for the past several hours. The cloak she'd donned, although perfect for her goal of obscurity, was also doing an excellent job of building up and trapping heat beneath it.

Catching sight of a small, clear area beneath a tree just down the path, Kagome trudged wearily towards it. Not daring to remove the cloak entirely, she settled for spreading the generous material at the hem out like a miniature picnic blanket. She also pushed off the hood, but kept her head continually bowed just in case someone should come along down the trail.

She was midway through her meal of bread, cheese, and dried meat when some instinct caused her to glance up. As soon as she did, a gasp was wrung from her throat and her food dropped into her lap unnoticed. Standing directly in front of her, his feet planted firmly on the path not two steps away, stood a rough looking man. As soon as he took note that he had her attention, a cold smirk twisted his lips. Blue eyes glinting down at her, the smirk transformed into a smile, but not anything close to a comforting one.

Kagome was unsure about how to react. She had never been confronted with such an openly aggressive attitude before, and so had no experience in dealing with it. The closest she had ever come was during the beginning of her time with Inuyasha, but even he had never seemed so threatening without having to say a word. One of her hands inched upward to close the neck of her cloak; the other dropped to grasp the straps of her pack. Both gestures were useless, since he was close enough to have both noted her gender and to grab her in seconds if she tried to run, but she gained a small bit of comfort from them, anyway.

"Well, hello." The stranger's voice was as cold as his eyes and came rumbling from deep inside his chest. Kagome had no doubt it was an effect he was using to add to her discomfort rather than his usual tone.

A spark of anger bloomed in her chest as she realized she was being played with. No matter what his intentions were, and she had little uncertainty that they weren't of the friendly kind, she refused to be treated in such a way. A scowl tipped her lips and her hands moved from their previous perches to cross over her chest. Mimicking his stance, she glared up at him, determined not to cower as he so obviously wanted her to.

The smallest twitch of his eyebrow was the only sign that her action had any effect on him, but she took pleasure in it nonetheless. He had clearly been expecting her to cringe with fright at his intimidating approach.

"What do you want?" she snapped, her frustration and pain of the past few days coming to the surface to be vented. She could almost pity him for being at the wrong place at the wrong time, thus receiving a level of animosity that he didn't entirely deserve.

Maybe it was her waspish attitude, or maybe the man before her was just having an equally bad day. Whatever it was, her question brought about an immediate reaction. His lips pulled back from his teeth in a snarl, revealing their pointed quality that had been hidden up till then. Kagome's eyes inched upward, locating his ears beneath the fall of dark hair. Her worst suspicions were confirmed when she saw their pointed state, so much like Sesshomaru's had been.

She had just aggravated a full-blooded demon.

In a move too fast for her eyes to follow, Kagome found herself swept up into his arms. The cloak that she had been using for protection soon became a hindrance as it was swathed around her head and upper body. Not only did it cut off her view of what was happening, it also pinned her arms tightly to her sides. There was a sensation of weightlessness that ended quickly when her stomach came into contact with something hard and unyielding. Kagome could only guess that she had been flung over his shoulder in much the same way as Inuyasha had carried Sango not so long ago.

There is no ground so fertile for growing fear as the unknown. Trapped in a position where there was nothing but blackness and even sound was muffled, Kagome felt her throat begin to close. Her breath came in shorter and shorter pants and her head began to swim. The last thing she heard before everything went dim was the man's cold voice next to her ear.

"Inuyasha took something that should have belonged to me; now I'll take something that belongs to him."

Chapter Twenty-Five


	26. Hungry Like the Wolf

****

Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

_**.**_

**General Reminder:** _Kagome will now be known as Kagome and Kikyo will mean the real Kikyo, no matter whose POV it is._

_._

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

__

Hungry Like the Wolf

**… … … …**

Kagome was having the best dream. She was surrounded by the warmth of Inuyasha's arms, with his breath hot and moist on her cheek. He shifted against her side with a low grumble. The new position brought his nose into contact with her neck and she shivered at the coldness of the appendage against her skin. His weight was heavy on her shoulder as he leaned closer in order to . . .lick her cheek?

Coming awake with a start, Kagome jackknifed into a sitting position. Although she knew that her eyes were wide open, they could have still been closed for all that she could see. She was completely enclosed in a thick, velvety darkness.

Her hands swept out ins semicircles from her sides as she struggled for any clue about her surroundings. There was the feeling of cool stone and loose rocks against her palms, adding to her instinctual impression that she wasn't in a tradition building. The open space around her seemed to empty and vast for that.

Her movements dislodged some of the debris and the skittering sound it caused echoed around her. As Kagome's hands continued their exploration, her fingertips grazed against something soft and bristly. At the same moment that she detected the warmth and rhythmic movements of a living thing, an animalistic rumble reached her ears.

The sound of the shifting rocks had seemed loud; it was a whisper compared to the scream that followed. If the sheer volume wasn't enough, the walls threw the sound back at her as an echo. Her voice was high and thready with fright, making it almost unrecognizable as it returned to her ears.

Digging her heels into the floor, Kagome moved her body backwards as fast as she could manage. She didn't need to know the exact cause of the noise to know that she wanted to be as far away from it as possible. Once she started moving, she didn't stop until her back made contact with something solid.

"I guess that answers the question of whether or not she's awake."

The voice was disturbingly familiar and came from above and behind her. Instantly reacting to it, Kagome twisted around to see who had spoken. As she feared, it was the man from the road. He stood directly behind her with his arms crossed arrogantly over his chest. Another figure stood on his left, apparently the one his comment had been directed at.

Just at the edge of her vision was the faint, flickering glow of fire. Its illumination didn't reach far, but it did travel enough to allow her to realize something. The solid thing behind her back wasn't a wall as she had thought, but the legs of her kidnapper!

Jerking away from him, Kagome found her eyes, finally adjusted to the darkness, directed back towards the spot where she had woken up. It was then that she was able to identify the source of her first fright as not one, not two, but an entire group of wolves huddled together.

Kagome's eyes widened as the knowledge that the carnivorous beasts had been lying beside her, on top of her even, as she slept sank in. Goosebumps raced across her skin as her muscles tightened and then twitched at the remembered sensation of coarse fur against her flesh. Her mouth opened, but before another scream could emerge, a calloused hand was slapped roughly over it.

"No more of that! One dose of your squawking was more than we needed!"

Still covering her mouth, the man easily pulled her to her feet. With the other man, whose features remained in shadow, following behind them, he led her to another area, quite far from the place where she had woken. While she was distracted from her fear and the light was far from bright, Kagome was able to learn a few things on the trip. She had been right in her assumption that she wasn't in a house or other kind of building. The rough stone walls were uneven and damp with condensation. The floor, such as it was, consisted of the same substance strewn with smaller rocks and dirt. If she had to guess, she'd say she was in a cave or a cave system.

Their final destination was brightly lit, a fact that Kagome appreciated. In addition to the fuzzy feeling brought on by her unplanned "nap", all the squinting she had been forced to do in order to see through the gloom was giving her a headache. It also helped that she was finally able to see both her captor and her surroundings in some degree of detail.

The taller of the two men accompanying her, the man from the road, made his way to a large boulder positioned on one side of the chamber. He sat in the makeshift chair, leaving Kagome to stand in front of him, feeling far to vulnerable for her tastes while she waited for him to speak.

She wasn't left in suspense for long. With a smirk curving his lips, he spoke directly to her for the first time since she had awoken. His voice was just as cool as she remembered it to be as he said a single sentence that did little to endear him in her mind. "You're Inuyasha's bitch."

Although his tone was matter-of-fact rather than insulting, Kagome felt her cheeks flush with anger and disgust. Her hands clenched at her sides as she glared at him coldly without replying. He didn't seem to mind or even notice, continuing with barely a pause. "It's because of that that I brought you here. You see, if it weren't for him, I would be even greater than I am now. He stole what should have been mine, and he has to pay for that. His rule over those lands will be a short one, but simply taking what I should have had all along isn't enough. I want him to _suffer_."

The infliction he put on the final word brought a chill to Kagome's spine. It was all it took to convince her that the man before her was very dangerous, and more than capable of living up to the promise in his words. "What do you want from me?" she managed to ask through teeth clenched to keep them from chattering.

The man stared at her and then burst into laughter. "What do you think I want from you? I want you to help me make him suffer. I want him to know what it feels like to have something belonging to him snatched from beneath his nose. By the time I'm through with him, your husband will wish he'd never heard of Kouga, leader of the wolves."

Several realizations occurred to Kagome at once. It took a few seconds for her mind to wrap around them all and force them into an order she could understand. The first was that this man, Kouga, as he had called himself, was a wolf demon. It explained both his similarities to Sesshomaru and the presence of so many of the animals themselves. Secondly, he planned to use her in some unknown way to exact revenge on Inuyasha. The third bit of information she filed away was that he had been planning to take Kikyo's lands, probably by force, but was beaten to the punch by Inuyasha.

Her final insight was the most important of them all. He had referred to Inuyasha as her husband, as was to be expected. Even the people who had been closest to them during their time together didn't yet know that their marriage was a farce. Since Kouga hadn't even used her name, she doubted he knew much more than what his senses told him. He had smelled Inuyasha on her on the path and drawn his assumptions from there.

The reminder of just what he might have figured out from her scent brought another blush to her cheeks, and not of anger this time. It was so soon after the event and it's consequential fallout that she couldn't suppress her responses to the memory. Embarrassment and shame warred for prominence within her each time it was mentioned or raised in her memory. She could only hope that her reaction would lessen in time.

Forcibly pushing both emotions aside, Kagome focused on the problem at hand. She had been kidnapped by a wolf demon who wanted to use her to get back at Inuyasha for taking the lands he'd had his own eye on acquiring. While he hadn't mentioned specifics on how he intended to use her, she didn't hold out much hope that it would be anything pleasant. His actions so far had been rough and primitive, and she thought it would be safe to assume that he would continue that trend.

The most simple truth she had at the moment was that she had to get away from him. Luckily for her, his own words had clued her in on how. She would tell him the truth, from the moment she had met Kikyo to the time when she could no longer keep the lie going. Once she did, Kouga would be forced to see that she meant nothing to Inuyasha, and that holding her captive would do him no good in the end.

Unconsciously mirroring the words she had used in her letter, Kagome began her tale. "I'm not who you think I am . . ." She spared herself no details, forcing herself to mention even the more humiliating truths to the stranger before her. Only the knowledge that it might well gain her freedom or even save her life allowed her to get to the end. When she finished, she looked Kouga full in face waited for his response.

She had braced herself for everything from anger with physical ramifications to simple disappointment. Her body was tensed in preparation for both a blow or to run if she was granted her freedom. In the silence that stretched after her final word, she imagined numerous outcomes and forced herself to be ready for any of them.

When Kouga finally reacted, it wasn't in any of the manners that she had been expecting. There was no anger, in fact, no major negative emotion at all. He raised his head to meet her gaze, revealing an odd sentiment in his eyes. Since it was so far outside the range of responses that she had been expecting, it took Kagome a moment to recognize it as . . .admiration? Rising so quickly she was startled into taking a step back, Kouga moved closer. Her hands were soon caught between his as he stared down at her in silence. It only took one experimental tug to know she wouldn't be able to free herself until he decided to let go.

Her nerves had jumped into overdrive before he finally spoke. Gone was the coldness and arrogance of before. In their place was an air of respect and almost wonder. His voice was soft, more rumble than words.

"Your loyalty to your family is the same as mine. They come first, no matter what. I never thought a human would be capable of matching my view so closely. The sacrifice you made, the strength of character you have, your beauty . . . They all make it clear there is only one thing I can do.

"I'll make you my mate."


	27. Torn

****

Another's Name, But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.  
**………**

**X**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

_Torn  
_**… … … …**

**X**

It had been four days since Inuyasha had received the blow of Kagome's confession and disappearance. His mood had been in a steady downward spiral ever since, although he fiercely denied to both himself and others that her absence was in anyway related. It was just the stress of dealing with his parents' unexpected visit along with the other million and one small details that he had to handle everyday. The pressure was higher than ever before as he had to keep his less than secure position as ruler a secret until his men found the solution to all of his problems.

Kikyo.

There had been no sign of the runaway leader so far, but he was sure she wouldn't be able to remain hidden for long. The men he had put on her trail were the best under his command. He knew that they would do exactly as they had been trained to do, fanning out to systematically search the area until she was captured and returned.

Inuyasha's gaze dropped to the single sheet of paper clutched in his hand. It was a report from another of his men whom he had sent on a fact-finding mission two days ago. He had a reputation for quick and thorough work, not mention a skill for being covert. Since all were traits needed for the task that Inuyasha had had in mind, he had deliberately kept from assigning him to find Kikyo. Now that his first job was done, however, he would join the others on the main assignment.

His eyes dropping to the letter in his hand, Inuyasha sighed. The subject that it covered was the largest source of conflict within himself. There were as many reasons not to read it as there were reasons to read it. On the one hand, opening it could be considered an act of weakness, which was something he couldn't allow. On the other hand, not opening it could be taken as a severe lapse in security, something that it was equally important to avoid.

In the end, he was unable to resist the lure of what lay on the paper. He knew he wouldn't be able to get it off his mind until he opened it and learned what information it contained. Wanting privacy, something a bit hard to come by lately, Inuyasha headed for the second floor where his bedroom was located. It was one of the few places that he knew he wouldn't be trivially bothered in.

He made it to the upstairs hallway before his plan changed. His feet seemed to draw to a stop of their own accord outside of another room altogether. His hand followed suit, coming to rest on the door handle. It was there that he paused, the metal a cool and solid weight against his palm.

The bedroom he stood outside of had been the scene of both his highest and lowest moments. Just when he had grown content with the idea of having someone he could call a friend by his side for the rest of his life, it was ripped away from him. Mere hours had separated the enveloping warmth of happiness from the stinging bite of betrayal. After finding and reading Kagome's note, he had left the room in a hurry. Neither he nor anyone else had entered it since, as per his order.

Mentally justifying that he was even more unlikely to be disturbed in there as he was in his own room, Inuyasha slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside. He was immediately hit with a rush of memories that he fiercely suppressed. He couldn't shut off his nose, however, and the scents in the room hit him like a stone wall. The smell of her hair, her perfume, her skin . . .

Slamming the door with more force than was strictly necessary, Inuyasha did the same on his train of thought. A large part of him wanted to turn around and leave, but he couldn't do it. To do so would be to admit that she still had power over him, even when she was little more than olfactory memory. It was something that his pride wouldn't allow. No matter what it took, he would conquer any lingering connection to Kagome and go on with his life. His life with Kikyo.

He took a seat on the edge of the bed and unfolded the paper he still held. The scout's handwriting was more scrawl than actually formed words, but Inuyasha was used to it. He only had to squint for a few seconds before he was able to begin reading.

_Kagome Higurashi_

While the report was less than in-depth, it did contain all the items Inuyasha had requested. In her letter, Kagome had given her reasons - "not excuses", she had written - for going along with Kikyo's plan. She had mentioned her family, including the grandfather who wouldn't be able to handle being tossed out on the street and the younger brother not yet old enough to be on his own.

A part of him had sympathized with her plight in the scant few seconds before the true weight of the problem had slammed down on him. While he wasn't close with his own brother, he did have a good relationship with both his parents. The thought of someone threatening them would probably have made him react in a similar way as Kagome. Of course, he had more power and influence at his disposal than she had, and so he would have handled the situation in a far different way.

Once he'd realized exactly how much her deceit had put in jeopardy, those understanding feelings had vanished. In his darker moments he had wondered if there was even any truth to them. Perhaps she had no family, or at least not the one she had mentioned. Maybe it was all a lie to try and absolve her guilt in the charade. It was then that he had hit upon the idea of sending a scout to find out.

Now, with the proof of her honesty in his hands, Inuyasha found himself filled with a strange sense of relief. It wasn't because she had told the truth, he told himself, rising to his feet. It was because it proved she wasn't a threat to the lands or to him. She had simply been pulled into a scheme and been unable to get out on her own. Now that she was free from Kikyo's threat, she could go on with her life the way it had been before.

Except she had left the village . . .

'I don't blame her for getting away from here as quickly as she could. It's not like she has anything to be proud of here. The farther away she gets, the better.'

Even with those thoughts in his mind, Inuyasha's eyes drifted to the corner of the room. It was the same spot where he had tossed her letter after reading it. He hadn't picked it up then and since none of the maids had been allowed in to clean, it should still have been there. Something prodded him to his feet and to that corner. He bent down, his eyes sweeping across the floor in search of the balled up paper. A moment later, he pushed a chair and then a small table out the way but it was no use.

The letter was gone.

**X**

Kaede was in something of a dilemma. Certain urgent matters required that she speak with Inuyasha, and yet she found herself hesitant to do so. She had nothing against the hanyou lord; she had even come to respect him for the ways he dealt with the people that he ruled. He was a better leader than Kikyo had ever attempted to be, and deserved the position more than anyone else that came to mind. It was only in the last few days that he had been anything less than affable. He had taken to stalking about the premises with a constant glower and furrowed brow. It was clear to everyone that he had problems on his mind, but no one dared approach him to find out what those problems were.

Kaede, of course, already knew. She had known for some time that Kagome's confession would be painful for him to receive, and she'd regretted it immensely. Neither of them deserved the fate that Kikyo had chosen for them, but nothing could be done about it now.

There were still some situations well within Inuyasha's control, however, and it was regarding them that Kaede needed to see him. The boy Kagome and Shippo had found, Kohaku, was getting better by leaps and bounds. It was just that morning that he had finally opened his eyes for the first time since being brought to the castle. He hadn't really been aware of what was happening around him and he'd fallen back to sleep quickly, but it was still a very good sign.

It was also proof that he would soon be well enough to be questioned. Given his attitude of late, she feared Inuyasha would be too brusque with the child while looking for answers. That's why she had a special favor to request from him. If he allowed it, she was sure it would benefit not only Kohaku, but himself as well.

In the end, it was Inuyasha who found her. She had just left the makeshift barracks after a failed search when she caught sight of a red and white blur approaching quickly. In the amount of time that it took for her to identify it as an angry half demon, he was standing right in front of her. His perpetual glower seemed a bit darker than usual as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ah, Inuyasha. I was just look-" was all she managed before he interrupted her.

"Did you let one of the maids in the upstairs bedroom?"

His tone explained exactly which room he meant even though his words did not. Suppressing a sigh, Kaede shook her head. "No one's been in that room since you ordered it closed off. The way you've been acting recently, none of the maids would have dared disobeyed." Her final comment held the slightest of edges. She knew that with his demon senses, he would have known the answer before tracking her down. He was looking for yet another excuse to vent his frustration over the current string of events. While she understood that, she was getting tired of being a target of it. She had yet to offer him her apologies over the situation, knowing that it would simply make him even angrier. As she was about to make a request, that was not the frame of mind she wanted him in.

Inuyasha frowned at her tone but didn't comment. Shaking his head, he muttered something that sounded like, "Where did it go?" before turning as though to leave. Kaede stopped him with a quickly raised palm.

"Inuyasha, there was something I wanted to speak with you about." He tenses, obviously anticipating the topic to involve Kagome in some way. He had no way of knowing that was one subject she wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole at the moment. To ease his mind - and hopefully make him more agreeable - she dove right into her question. "The boy, Kohaku, is doing much better now. I expect that he'll he be up and about in a couple of weeks' time. I know that you wanted to question him about his attacker, but I thought there is, perhaps, a better way to get the answers that you need."

Her pause was met by a raised eyebrow, which she took as a sign to continue. "I think it would be for the best if we allowed his sister to stay with him as much as possible over the next few days. This should calm him and help to aid his recovery. Once he's well enough, I think she should also be the one to question him." Inuyasha's mouth opened, and she knew he was about to object. She hurried on to stop him from turning her down before hearing all of her proposition. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't be there, or that you shouldn't contribute. I'm merely of the mind that it would go more smoothly, and with better results, if someone that he trusted did the talking. It would also help to clear your name with Sango, removing any doubt she might have that you were involved."

Kaede held her breath as Inuyasha deliberated. She knew that her idea was sound, and it was definitely in the best interest of Kohaku. He didn't need to be harassed by hanyou with a chip on his shoulder so early on in his recovery.

Her hopes fell when she saw he expression on Inuyasha's face. An obvious refusal was on the tip of his tongue when a commotion by the gates caught his attention. Several demons made their way inside, talking amongst themselves. From their dirty and disheveled appearances, it looked like they had crossed some distance before their arrival.

With his concentration clearly on them as they approached, Inuyasha muttered a quick, "Do whatever you want," before going off to meet them. The group was too far away for Kaede to make out any of their conversation. She could tell that whatever they were discussing was important by the serious expressions on all their faces.

Just as she was about to step closer in the hopes of overhearing something enlightening, something happened that stopped her in her tracks. Another demon stepped through the gates, leading a human woman by the arm. She was cloaked from head to toe, her face hidden behind the folds of a thin scarf. Even so, Kaede recognized the superior tilt of her chin immediately.

Kikyo had returned.

Age 17

Grandfather, Father (deceased), Mother, Brother (12)

Formerly employed by Yamada (baker) as assistant and for deliveries

Left for new (unknown, out of village) employment

Returned home four nights ago

Stayed one night, left before dawn

Took the Western road

Destination unknown


	28. What's Going On

****

Another's Name But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

****

………

X

****

X

Chapter Twenty-Eight

__

What's Going On

****

… … … …

X

X

"No."

"But . . ."

"No."

"What if . . ."

"No."

"Not even if . . ."

"No.

Kagome fought the urge to heave an exasperated sigh. In the five days she had spent in Kouga's company, they had had the same conversation more then a dozen times. She had to give the wolf demon credit; he was persistent. His determination to have her as his mate had kept her in the caves for four long days. It had also seen to it that he went with her when she was finally allowed to leave. Since it was the only way that he would let her go on her way, Kagome had had no choice but to agree to his company.

As she had expected before they'd even set off, he was using the time to try and change her mind. If she had thought for a single moment that his attention was a continuation of his plan for revenge against Inuyasha, she wouldn't have hesitated to let him have it. She had been brutally honest with Kouga in order to prevent just such an occurrence, stating all of the many reasons why Inuyasha could care less about what might befall her. Even so, Kouga had continued with his insistence that she was perfect to his "woman", as he put it. There was no chance she'd ever say yes, but she couldn't help but be touched by his sincerity.

His attempts to make her reconsider aside, Kagome was glad for Kouga's company. She had never really been on her own before, and any companion, even a newly found and slightly irritating one, was something she appreciated. The fact that he offered her a high degree of protection form anyone and anything she might meet was another bonus she didn't fail to recognize.

Kagome lowered her eyes to the ground as the path became more uneven. Every few seconds it was necessary for her to step over a rock or branch to keep from taking a fall. Even with her close attention, a rough patch caught her off guard and her foot went sliding. A small shriek left her lips as she lost her balance, both her arms wind milling as she sought to steady herself.

Just before she would have fallen to the ground, a muscular arm wound itself around her waist. With Kouga to brace her, she quickly regained her footing. Even so, she maintained a grip on his forearm until her heartbeat slowed and her breathing evened out. When she finally raised her head to thank him for his quick action, she saw that something else held his complete attention. His chin was raised and his brow was furrowed as though he were listening intently. As she watched, his nose twitched ever so slightly, like he had picked up on an unpleasant scent.

"Stay here, he ordered, gently setting her aside. Kagome was left to stand and watch as he disappeared into the trees in front of her. Time seemed to slow to a complete stop as she waited, straining to see or hear Kouga or what had caught his attention.

Finally she could stand to wait no more. Stepping slowly and carefully in order to be quiet, she moved forward. Keeping a close eye on her surroundings, she headed off in the same direction that Kouga had gone.

It didn't take her long to catch up with him. He was a few hundred yards straight ahead, down on one knee. Kagome instantly knew why he had left in such a hurry when she saw what lay at his feet. She felt a flash of déjà vu when she saw the blood covered figure who held Kouga's concentration. It was a scene almost identical to the one that she and Shippo had come across when they found Kohaku.

She came to a stop at Kouga's side, but her eyes were locked on the injured man lying among the leaves. Upon closer inspection, she realized that he wasn't just any man. Lying at her feet was a member of the army Inuyasha had brought with him upon his arrival at the castle. If her memory was correct, he had even been present at the wedding ceremony that had started it all.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper. She wasn't sure why she was being so quiet; the hurt demon appeared to be unconscious. As she stared down at him, one hand rose to press against her throat as she got a better look at some of his wounds. Kohaku's ravaged body had been the most terrible sight she had ever seen; the man struggling to breath on the ground was much worse off.

"He's obviously been attacked, but I can't tell by what, " Kouga growled, apparently agitated by his inability to identify or locate the attacker. His eyes were constantly on the move, scanning the tree line before returning to study the injuries for any clues.

Kagome swallowed hard in an attempt to stifle her quickly rising panic. She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that Kohaku, a human boy, had survived similar injuries with good care. Surely a strong demon warrior used to fighting could do no less. Even so, she felt the need to so something to help him. Dropping to her knees, she rooted through the bag she'd carried with her. Pulling out one of the several petticoats she'd been wearing when she left the castle, she began to tear it into strips for bandages.

She was so intent on her task that the sound of Kouga's voice caused her to jump. "I'm going to circle around. Don't leave this spot." Nodding her agreement, Kagome paused in her work long enough to watch him vanish into the distance once more. Once he was gone, she started blotting away the blood and seeing to the gash on the fallen soldier's brow. With that as her staring point, she worked her way down his body, cleaning and wrapping his injuries as best she could.

She had just bandaged the bruised and scrapped knuckles of his right hand when a soft gasp reached her ears. Looking down, she focused on her patient's face just as his eyes fluttered open. His forehead wrinkling in confusion, he blinked several times in rapid succession. A few moments passed while he got his bearings, during which Kagome held her breath. Finally he looked back up at her, this time actually seeming to _see_ her.

Before she could utter the reassuring words hovering on the tip of her tongue, his left hand shot out to grip her wrist with strength that belied his condition. He tugged on her arm and Kagome complied with his unspoken request to move closer. When he spoke, his voice was a bare thread of sound that she had to struggle to hear.

". . .attack . . .surprise . . .wedding . . .warn . . ."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. Can you say that again?"

He swallowed audibly while Kagome leaned as closely as she could without causing him any more pain than he was already in. "They're planning an ambush after the wedding, a surprise attack."

"Who's planning an attack?" she asked gently.

"Naraku . . ." Kagome frowned; the name meant nothing to her.

"So this Naraku is planning a surprise attack at someone's wedding, and you want to warn them?" He nodded weakly. "Whose wedding?"

"Lord Inuyasha's."

Kagome froze. Her entire body reacted to the news, her eyes widening, her hands clenching, her ears filtering out all sound but the heavy thumping of her heart. She felt a wave of coldness and then rush over her skin as his words sank into her mind.

Inuyasha was getting married.

Sure, she'd considered the possibility many times, usually in the darkest and most lonely parts of the night. It had been painful then, when it was merely a theoretical idea she pictured sometime in the distant future. Being confronted with the dreaded situation so much sooner than she had ever imagined was almost more than she could stand.

The shock of the man's second revelation was so strong that it took quite some time for Kagome's mind to combine it with the first. When the facts clicked, she gasped in horror. Someone was panning to pick a fight when Inuyasha was sure to be distracted. While she had great faith in the strength and abilities of both Inuyasha and his men, there was no limit to what could happen if the enemy was powerful enough and the timing was right. If this Naraku of those working for him were skilled enough to get a drop on one of Inuyasha's best fighters without leaving a trace, there was no telling what kind of damage they could inflict on an unsuspecting wedding party.

Kagome roused from her reverie to find that the soldier had lapsed back into unconsciousness. As she looked at his slack features with their slight resemblance to Inuyasha, she came to a decision. Working with a speed she wouldn't have guessed herself capable of, she finished tending his wounds. Stuffing the remnants of the petticoat back into her bag, she rose to her feet.

Determination filled her as she set off to find Kouga. Regardless of what had happened between the two of them, she couldn't let Inuyasha walk into a trap when he could be at his most vulnerable. Her conscious just wouldn't allow it. Once she was sure Kouga would take care of the injured man, she was heading back to the village to warn him.

****

X

Sango frowned as the shadowy figure of the perverted priest walked past her door without so much as peeking inside. It was the third day in a row that he had been almost completely distracted from his usual, lecherous ways. Aside from a halfhearted attempt at groping when he brought her dinner, he had been keeping his hands to himself lately.

Leaning her back against the wall, a habit ingrained in her since childhood, Sango settle in to think. Miroku's recent behavior troubled her. It wasn't that she missed his advances, she quickly consoled herself. It wasn't that at all. Or, if it was that - just a little - it was because fending him off was the only real exercise she'd been getting of late. Sending him flying across the room a few times a day was a decent substitute for her usual workouts.

No, his change in routine bothered her because it came coupled with several others. For starters, she was suddenly being allowed to spend the majority of her days with Kohaku. It was an amazing relief to be able to see for herself that her brother was truly alive and on the road to making a full recovery. Just during the two days she's been allowed to spend with him so far, she had seen vast improvements to his condition. He hadn't been able to talk much yet, just a few mumbled requests fro water, but she'd seen the recognition in his eyes when he'd looked at her. It had been enough to make her cry.

Luckily for her, the breakdown of her usual tough persona was witnessed only by Kaede, her constant companion during her hours with Kohaku. Rather than resenting the grandmotherly figure, Sango found comfort and reassurance from her company and the knowledge of both her brother's condition and life in general. At least she had until she had begun to notice the same worried and distracted air surrounding Kaede as Miroku was currently wearing.

It was then that she began taking a closer look at all the people she came across on her way to and from Kohaku's room each day. The servants all seemed to be in a mode of hyperactivity that had less to do with a lot of work than it did keeping themselves out of someone's way. The demon soldiers were all either stomping about importantly amidst the commotion or gathered in small groups for intense discussions. She had seen Inuyasha's parents once (absentmindedly identified by Miroku), strolling about, two of the few calm presences.

The people she saw raised more questions about the people she wasn't seeing. Neither Kikyo nor Inuyasha had crossed her path since that first day. At first she'd thought nothing of it, since Miroku was the only person she had any contact with in his capacity as her guard. She had halfway expected a visit from Kikyo, though, since the younger girl had mentioned one in the neat future. Even so, Sango thought nothing of it when the plan fell through since as the Lady of the area, Kikyo was sure to have lots to do.

Inuyasha was another story. He had seemed far too eager to grill her to have so many days pass without so much as an offhand question. The expected inquisition hadn't come, not even after Kohaku regained consciousness. That was when she had really begun to get suspicious.

Standing up from the bed, Sango began to pace. It was clear that something was going on, and from the people that it involved, it was something big. The entire situation had her finely honed instincts ringing every mental alarm bell she possessed. Something was up, and as long as she and Kohaku were caught in the middle of it, she had a right to know the details.

Storming to the door, she banged on it with her fist. It was time to get some answers from the only source at her disposal.

"Miroku!"


	29. There's Your Trouble

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Another's Name But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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Chapter Twenty-Nine

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There's Your Trouble

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Inuyasha sighed and dragged a hand roughly through his hair as he left his parents seated in the library. He had just spent the previous hour convincing them not to pay a visit to Kikyo quite yet. Silently cursing whoever it was who had let it slip that she'd returned, he'd offered up every excuse that he could think of: she was resting after a long trip, she was getting caught up with her friends and family, she was readying herself to meet her new in laws for the first time. He had managed to put them off for a while, but knowing them as he did, he knew his reprieve would only last for a short while. It would only take a little bit of time for them to realize that something was up if he refused to let them meet his wife. Even if they didn't, by the eagerness they'd shown to meet their daughter-in-law, Inuyasha knew he had two or three days at the most to present Kikyo to them.

Closing the door tightly, he paused for a moment of uninterrupted thought. While having Kikyo back at the castle was the first and by far the most important step in his plan, it was only the beginning. He still had to convince her to go through with the wedding as soon as possible. He didn't foresee too many problems in that department once he made it clear that she had no choice in the matter. It was all coming down to a matter of timing, of carrying it off without anyone learning the whole of what was going on.

Inuyasha had had a conversation with Miroku in order to ensure that the priest would be ready to perform the ceremony at a moment's notice. He didn't want to risk even the smallest delay due to someone being unprepared. His foresight had earned him a number of judging looks and a lecture that he had cut off the moment he had seen where it was going. The last thing he needed in his life was someone he had only known for a few months telling him what to do about the woman who wasn't his wife and the one who was going to be his wife, whether she liked it or not.

He resumed his walk down the hall, determined to put some distance between himself and his parents. He'd worn himself out mentally while deflecting their first inquisition; he knew he wouldn't be able to take another one. His best bet, as he saw it, was to retreat to some quiet spot until it was time for him to make his next move. It was the smart thing to do, since that next move was sure to be as trying, if not more trying, than the confrontation with his mother and father had been.

Kikyo had been taken to a small secluded room within an hour of her arrival. That was where she had remained through the following night and day, with no visitors but the ones he himself approved of beforehand. A guard stood watch outside her door at all times, as much to keep others out as to keep her in. Inuyasha had no doubts about the loyalty of his men. If they found out what she had done and was, in fact, still trying to do, there was no end to the harm they could and would do to her.

For the time being, he needed her alive and well, and in as much of a cooperative mood as was possible. Once the wedding occurred, she would be protected by the fact that she was his wife, wanted or not. His men wouldn't dare lay a hand on her without his permission. Both that knowledge and the guard assuaged the part of him that had been instilled with honor from his father, and the promise he had made to protect those weaker than him that he had made to his mother.

As for Kikyo, she said and did nothing without his knowledge. Their first face-to-face meeting had been less than smooth. She had spent half of the time glaring at him with the tinge of disgust usually reserved for something scraped off the bottom of a shoe. The other half of the visit she had spent ignoring him, turning her eyes to an empty corner of the room and keeping them locked there. With her arms crossed over her chest and her nose in the air, she was the picture of indifference. Through the entire hour that he had spent alone with her, she hadn't uttered a single word. Even as he told her his plans for the wedding and her life afterward, she had maintained her silence.

He had to admit, if only to himself, that her lack of reaction worried him. He had expected everything from tears to threats to physical violence. The fact that none of them had come raised his suspicions. There had to be something going on inside her devious mind that was allowing her to stay so calm and aloof.

The meeting he had scheduled for after his talk with his parents was meant to accomplish one goal. He intended to use the time to find out what she had planned and then to find a way to put a stop to it. Inuyasha refused to allow anything that Kikyo might have up her sleeve to get in his way now that he was so close to getting what he wanted. He had fought too long and hard to risk letting some scheme defeat him.

Inuyasha finally made his way to the upstairs hall. He slipped into his room, eager for the time to himself. Between his duties, his parents, and the situation with Kikyo, he'd had little enough of it lately. Even his nights were troubled as his dreams led him to places that his conscious mind declared off limits. It was a good thing he didn't need a lot of rest or he'd have been little more than a worthless zombie, sleepwalking his way through the days.

All thoughts of rest quickly vanished as his eyes locked onto the other occupant of his room. Shippo sat on the large wooden trunk that rested at the foot of his bed, his small shoulders slumped. Soft, hiccupping noises escaped him every few seconds.

As soon as he realized that Inuyasha had arrived, his posture straightened and he hurriedly wiped at his cheeks. The glare he sent across the room was no less heated for the red-rimmed eyes it came from. Confused, Inuyasha was about to ask him what his problem was when the crumples piece of paper laying at Shippo's side caught his attention.

"Where did you get that?" he demanded, jabbing a finger towards the note. He had a sinking suspicion that he already knew the answer, but hoped that he was wrong.

Shippo didn't respond right away. He just continued to glare defiantly before breaking out angrily. "What did you do to Kagome?"

Inuyasha suppressed a flinch. The use of that name proved that his assumption and worst fear had been correct. No one besides Miroku and himself knew that particular detail of the ordeal, which was just the way that he wanted it. To hear her name caused a strange twinge at the back of his mind - a reminder of how he had been deceived, he told himself.

That very twinge and the knowledge that Shippo had read every personal and humiliating word put Inuyasha in a defensive mood. It was not a position he enjoyed being in and it quickly gave rise to his anger. Stomping across the room, he snatched the letter off the trunk. He waved it under Shippo's nose and snapped, "If you read this then you should know that she was the one who did something to me. I'm not the bad guy here."

He came to regret his sharp tone almost immediately when Shippo's lower lip started to tremble. The kitsune bit it bit couldn't stop the tears that welled in his eyes. His voice was thready and more high-pitched than usual as he wailed, "But she didn't even say goodbye!" He sobbed, burying his face in his small hands.

Inuyasha shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, unsure of what to do with the tiny, crying form in front of him. A part of him wanted to tell Shippo to suck it up and get over it. But there was another part of him that knew how Shippo felt and wanted to offer comfort in some way. A very small and quickly denied portion of him wanted to join in.

Shaking that final one off, he went with what he saw as the safest available option. He crossed the room and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Having seen first hand on several occasions just how close Shippo and Kagome had grown, he knew the whelp was taking her sudden absence hard. He also knew that that was something he couldn't change with just a few words, but he had to try.

"She didn't say goodbye to anybody, so you can't take it personally. It was just best for everybody if she left quietly."

"It wasn't best for me! She promised she'd always be there for me!" Shippo's voice broke with the force of his response.

Inuyasha strove for patience. "Sometimes people have to do things that they don't really want to do, things that we don't want them to have to do. It's just the way things are."

"But it's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair, and it's time you accept that. Everyone has to face hard obstacles and make tough choices. Sometimes you get hit with decisions so difficult, you can't even imagine being able to handle them. But you just fight your way forward and do the best that you can to pick the right one. Sometimes you have no other option but to sacrifice what could be for the sure things that you've worked for." Inuyasha paused and then sighed. "I can't tell you that it gets any easier with time, because it doesn't. But I can tell you that your not the only one who thinks it sucks."

The room fell into a thick silence, broken only by the occasional sniffle from Shippo. Just when Inuyasha began to grow uncomfortable with the amount that he had said, Shippo's tentative voice drifted to his ears.

"Do you hate her?"

Inuyasha knew immediately who Shippo meant, but there was still a long pause before he answered. For some reason, he found himself wanting to be as honest as possible with his reply. "I don't think so. What she did, maybe, but not her."

"She kind of had to do it, right? It's like what you said about having to make tough choices. She had to choose whether to lie or to put her family in danger."

"Yeah, I guess she did."

"So really, it's all Kikyo's fault, since she's the one who made Kagome do it."

"Umm," Inuyasha muttered noncommittally.

"Then why are you going to marry her?" Shippo practically yelled. Inuyasha found himself less surprised that he knew of those plans than at the amount of feeling in his sudden outburst. It all became clear when Shippo went on. "If you marry Kikyo, she'll be here forever and Kagome will never come back!"

"I'm not sure she'd want to come back even if Kikyo weren't here," he answered carelessly. The next thing he knew, he had an enraged kitsune gnawing on his head.

"I knew it! You did something to her, didn't you, you big stupid jerk!"

Annoyed, Inuyasha sent him flying with a flick of his wrist. "Shut up. I didn't do anything to her, brat. It's complicated, which you might understand when you get bigger. That is, if you ever get any bigger," he added just loudly enough for Shippo to hear. An audible growl crossed the room, but Inuyasha stood before Shippo could launch another attack. Making his way to the door, he spoke in the kitsune's general direction. "I don't have time for this. I have a lot of things to do. Keep your mouth shut about Kikyo and . . .Kagome, or I'll come back and pound you down an inch you can't afford to lose."

He was almost to the hall when he heard Shippo's heavy sigh. "I miss her."

'I know how you feel.'

****

X

Sango stared at Miroku in disbelief. The tale of deception, intrigue, and a doomed-from-the-start romance that he had woven seemed too farfetched to believe. It was only her own memory of his recent mood and the somber air he maintained during the telling that kept her from discounting it immediately. Once she recalled the more than just friendly interaction she'd witnessed between Inuyasha and the woman she'd known as Kikyo, though, other things began to make sense. As close as even she had noted them to be, the truth must have been painful for them both. Their absences over the past days were now completely understandable.

Shaking her head, Sango blew out a disbelieving breath. "That's the most incredible thing I've ever heard. I can barely accept that it's true."

"I know what you mean. I was just as startled when Inuyasha told me. Kagome - that's her name, not Kikyo - seemed like such a lovely woman. She was so kind, so helpful, so well formed . . ." His voice trailed off and his expression grew dreamy with what she was sure were thoughts unbefitting of a holy man. A quick slap brought him firmly back to the moment.

"Could you focus on something other than your lechery for more than five minutes, please?" she asked with a stern look. He lifted his eyebrows in a mute gesture of surprised innocence that she ignored completely. "What's bothering me is this new Kikyo. The kind of person who could orchestrate all of this is someone I'd want to keep a close eye on. It's hard to say how far she'd be willing to go to get what she wants." She paused as something occurred to her. Miroku seemed to know she was onto to something and watched her intently, but didn't speak.

"The kind of person," she began haltingly, "who would do all of this is the kind of person who would do anything. Even . . .even attack an innocent boy in order to provoke a certain reaction."

She had to give him credit; he caught on quickly. "You mean your brother?"

Sango nodded. "Just before Kohaku went missing, a woman tried to hire me to attack Inuyasha. When I said no, she all but threatened exploded. I never saw her face, but I have a feeling that if I heard Kikyo speak, I'd recognize the voice."

Miroku hummed softly, peaking his hands beneath his chin as he absorbed her revelation. Cocking one eyebrow, he studied her closely. "What do you think this means?"

"That Kikyo is a bigger threat than anyone knows."


	30. Day Before the War

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
**By _Lady of the Ink  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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**Chapter Thirty**

_Day Before the War_

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Kikyo paced the width of her small room with short, clipped steps. Her arms hung at her sides, her hands fisted so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. She kicked her skirts with every stride, the strength behind the blows resulting in a quiet thudding noise.

While anyone looking in would have thought her the picture of stressed annoyance, that image couldn't have been farther from the truth. She had just received a visit from her captor that allowed her to determine that everything was going according to the plan. As she had thought, his determination to find her and bring her back had been merely the first step of his attempts to solidify his claim. He had told her about the wedding himself, making it clear that she was to be given no choice in the matter.

Little did he know that he was playing right into her hands.

When the demon exterminator had turned down her offer for a job, she had been forced to pursue other avenues. Meeting up with Naraku had been a most opportune occurrence. It had been his plan to attack the brother and implicate the hanyou for it. He had seen it carried out perfectly, right down to the last detail, obtaining the desired result in far less time than it would have taken her alone. He had also been the one to warn her that Inuyasha had sent his best scouts to find her and take her back. That's when he had proposed another plan.

Even with his earlier successes, she had been leery when she'd learned the first step was to allow herself to get caught. His calm explanation had been enough to convince her that she had nothing to fear. She would be in the animal's clutches for no longer than was absolutely necessary. Her short time of sacrifice and suffering would quickly be repaid with the elimination of her adversary and the restoration of her position and power.

Her doubts had returned once more at his use of the word marriage. The very thought of being so near the silver haired fiend as would be necessary made her stomach turn and her anger flare. It had taken Naraku considerably longer to gain her acceptance of that. In the end, the benefits outweighed the faults and she had agreed to go along with his scheme.

Every detail had been finalized just before her "capture". Since she was secluded from everyone except Inuyasha and the guard who brought her meals, she had no means of knowing if the other stages were being carried out. She was looking forward to the time when her waiting was over and the time for her to take action arrived. For the moment, she had to be content with going over the timetable she had memorized and hoping each step was being carried out without a problem.

Her pacing slowed to a stop and a cold smile came to her lips. In just a few short hours, it would all be over. The visit she had just received from Inuyasha had filled her with an anticipatory sense of delight. His declaration that the wedding would be held just after dawn the next day was exactly what she had been waiting to hear. It was the action that would set everything into motion.

Her time was fast approaching.

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Sango sat at Kohaku's bedside, his small, bruised hand held between both of her own. It was the position she always took upon her arrival, and on this day, she had yet to move an inch. Her concentration was turned inward, her thoughts focused on Miroku's earlier tale and the questions it had raised within her own mind. Was it possible that Kikyo had been the woman who had attempted to hire her? If so, had she been the one behind the attack on Kohaku? Both were entirely possible, since the second accomplished what the first had not, maneuvering everyone into the desired positions.

Looking down at her little brother's battered face, Sango felt a burning wave of anger swell in her chest. Kohaku had never committed an unkind act in his short life. It had been easy to see early on that his gentle nature would preclude him from taking part in the family business. The knowledge that someone had taken advantage of that to further their own cause infuriated her. She knew that if the time ever came when she could get her hands on them, there would be hell to pay.

Forcing herself to take a calming breath, Sango focused on the more immediate events. It was now clear to her that Inuyasha was not the one to assault Kohaku. Too many people had confirmed his whereabouts for the time in question. Unless he could somehow manage to be in two places at once, he simply couldn't be the one responsible. Even without the word of Miroku and the others he had asked, she could no longer see Inuyasha as capable of such a crime. It had less to do with anything he himself had done than it did with Kagome's staunch defense of his character. Something in the other girl's words had just rung too true to ignore.

Kagome. Sango felt truly bad for her, knowing what she did. She had been taken advantage of in the lowest possible way, put into a situation that she had no choice but to agree to for the sake of her family's well being. But even knowing how much she had to lose, Kagome had obviously developed strong feelings for the resident hanyou. And, if Miroku were to be believed, Inuyasha had returned those feelings.

The crime against her own family aside, Kikyo was certainly guilty of other sins. Falling in love should be a special thing, but she had turned it into a situation to be mourned rather than celebrated. Knowing what she did, she could almost understand Inuyasha's reaction. Not only had he been fooled and had everything he had gained put into jeopardy, but he'd suffered a blow to the heart in the process. Being the kind of person that he was, he'd decided to deal with it by denying that such feelings had ever existed.

The news that his wedding to Kikyo would be in the morning had come to her straight from his own lips. The comment had been directed towards Kaede, who was sitting with her as usual. Inuyasha had burst into the room, pointing a finger in the old woman's direction. "The wedding's tomorrow at dawn. Get it ready." He had stomped from the room without another word.

Kaede had excused herself to do his bidding, looking none too happy about it. Sango shook her head. Everyone around him could see the mistake that he was making by marrying Kikyo, but he refused to be swayed. He saw it as the only way to get what he wanted and maintain his dignity. The only question was whether or not he'd find the price he'd paid too high in the end.

A small noise reached her ears, drawing her attention from her thoughts and onto Kohaku. As she watched, his brow furrowed. A moment later, his eyelashes fluttered and his eyes drifted open. Sango kept her gaze locked on his face and fought to avoid getting her hopes up. While he had woken like this before, he had yet to manage anything more than a few simple words. Her many questions about the day of his attack had had to be put on hold until he had regained a bit more of his strength.

"Water," he mumbled thickly. Sango quickly turned to the pitcher resting at her elbow and poured the liquid into a cup. With an arm beneath his neck to support his head, she raised the cup to Kohaku's lips. Swallowing thirstily, he managed to down half the glass before stopping. He fell back onto the pillow, panting slightly from the exertion.

"Thank you," he managed moments later, turning his eyes up to her face. A smile curved his lips when he saw who had helped him. "Sango!"

Sango smiled back, brushing his hair off his forehead with a gentle hand. "Hey there. Feeling better?" she asked, just as she had every other day. Normally she received a slight nod before his eyes would drift shut and he'd fall back to sleep. Today, she got an actual answer.

"Everything hurts, but not so much as before. What happened to me?"

Sango felt her eyes widen at his continued conversation. Though his voice was hoarse and his speech a bit halting, it was still a far cry from the single word answers of even just the day before. Struggling to hide her happiness, she replied as calmly as she could manage under the circumstances. "I was kind of hoping that you could tell me."

Kohaku frowned, obviously thinking back. "I remember you leaving . . .for a job in another village. You said you'd be back in about a week. A couple of days after that . . .I can't remember exactly when . . .someone came to the house, asking about how to hire you. They wanted to know how good you were, how long it took . . .for each job, when you'd be back. I told them you were the best." He smiled again, momentarily lightening the dark cloud that had settled on his face. "I turned around for something and the next thing I knew . . .I was flying across the room." He grimaced. "It's strange . . ."

"What's strange?"

"While he was attacking me, I could swear he . . .changed."

"What do you mean, he changed?" Sango asked, confused.

"One minute, he looked like he had when I opened the door. Then . . .he looked like someone else. He was . . .destroying the room, laughing." Kohaku shook his head. "I'm sorry. It was after he hit me. I was probably imagining things."

Taking his hands, Sango looked him in the eye. "This is very important, Kohaku. I need you to try and remember some things. You said he looked like someone else while he was trashing the room?"

A nod.

"What things about him were different, that made him seem like another person?"

"His hair. It went from dark to really light. Straight, from kind of wavy. His ears changed, too. They got bigger, lighter. They moved." Kohaku was sweating now, his breathing ragged. Sango laid a hand on his arm.

"It's okay. That's enough. You should rest now." He nodded in agreement, settling back down onto his bed. His eyes closed and she assumed that he had fallen back to sleep. Smoothing his blankets, she then settled in her chair to think. Since Kohaku had described his attacker as a man, that left Kikyo out. Of course, that wasn't to say that she wasn't behind it all. There were plenty of men willing to hire out for almost any task if the price were right. She would have had no problem finding someone to carry out her bidding.

As for the man himself, she was now almost certain he wasn't human. She knew that some demons had the ability to take on forms besides their own. It sounded like it was one of those that had attacked Kohaku. Whoever it was had taken Inuyasha's form in order to make it look like he had been the one to blame.

'And I fell for it,' she thought to herself. 'I should have known better! Dad always said not to take anything as it seemed. To always question. And there I went, chasing after the obvious without realizing that it was too obvious. What if I had killed him?' She shuddered at the thought. As abrasive as he was, he was still innocent of what she had accused him of doing. She had come so close to having his blood on her hands for the rest of her life. If Kagome hadn't come and distracted her . . .

She tilted her head to look at the ceiling. 'I guess I owe her one. I hope that our paths cross again someday so I can thank her.'

"Sango?"

She jumped, then turned an inquiring look onto Kohaku. "What is it?"

"I remembered something else. There was someone else with the man. They stayed outside, but I heard their voice once." He stopped to swallow, wincing slightly as it aggravated his bruised throat.

"It's okay, you can tell me this tomorrow . . ."

"No! I want to tell you now, before I forget. The other person was a woman, and she called the man by name." He stopped, twitching as though reliving the moment. Sango kept her eyes locked onto his face, a strange feeling of dread growing in her stomach as she waited for his next word.

"She called him . . .Naraku."

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	31. If You Came To Me

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Another's Name But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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Chapter Thirty-One

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If You Came to Me

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Kagome moved as quickly as the unknown terrain allowed. Long, vine-y bushes wrapped themselves around her ankles, remaining there to be dragged behind her after being ripped free from their roots by her hurried pace. She had pulled the cloak's collar up to protect her face and neck from the slapping tree branches. Even with that precaution, she had earned several stinging scratched over the course of her daylong journey.

None of these things mattered to her or even really registered in her mind. She had one goal and one goal only- to make it back to the village in time to warn Inuyasha of the ambush. It didn't matter that she couldn't be a part of his life after all that she had done. That was a pain that she could find a way to live with. But if she got there too late . . .if she no longer had the comfort that he, at least, was alive, well, and happy . . .she didn't think she could stand it.

She quickened her steps as that image took hold in her mind. She had to be in time; it was the only option she would allow. She'd get there and pass on her warning, leaving Inuyasha safe and free to live his life however he wanted. Even if that meant his marriage to Kikyo.

Tears formed in her eyes and she struggled to keep them from flowing. A sharp stitch grew in her side due to her quick pace but she ignored it. She didn't have time to give in to her physical and emotional pain. Kagome knew she had to keep herself focused or risk breaking down and being of no use to anyone.

The sky darkened until night fell completely. Kagome forged onward, finding her way by feel rather than by sight. Unseen obstacles rose in her path, sending her to the ground more than once.

It was with no small amount of relief that she heard her name being called. She finally drew to a stop as she waited for Kouga to reach her side. He did so quickly, no more than a moving shadow to her straining eyes.

"He's settled with the pack. They'll take care of him till he's fit enough to leave." She heard him shift his weight, dried leaves crackling beneath his feet. "I still don't see why you're in such a hurry to warn that dog-breath. If he's not demon enough to take care of himself, then he deserves what he gets."

Kagome reined in her annoyance by reminding herself that she needed his help. Without his night vision and speed, she would have no chance of making it to the village before dawn. She took a deep calming breath before answering him. "I know that you don't understand my reasons and I'm not asking you to agree with them. All I'm asking is for your help, even though I know I don't have the right. I know we just met and everything but I . . .I just don't know what else to do!"

The tears that she had fought down earlier made a reappearance as she was swamped with a feeling of uselessness. She felt like the most pathetic person in the world, having been maneuvered into such a position in the first place and then making it worse. How stupid had she been to fall in love with the very person she was actively deceiving? How naïve had she been to, if only for a short while, entertain notions of a happy ending? How weak had she been to run away from Inuyasha without facing him, leaving a note as a sign of her cowardliness?

She sniffled, drawing a groan from Kouga. "Don't cry. I don't know what to do when women cry." He made a sound that was half sigh, half growl. "I'll get you where you thing you need to go. Just don't think it means I'm givin' up on you. I'll make you my woman yet." His next sentence was so under his breath that she was barely able to make it out. "And if I get the chance to knock that mutt around, all the better."

Before Kagome could yell at him for his comment, she found herself being swept into his arms. "Hold on tight," he advised just before he took off. She had no choice but to wrap her arms around his shoulders and bury her face in his neck as he raced through the trees. As the wind whipped past her, she squeezed her eyes closed and renewed her silent entreaties that they be in time.

****

…

The sky was just beginning to lighten when Kagome recognized the path she'd taken out of town. Tapping Kouga on the shoulder, she put her mouth close to his ear and yelled for him to circle around. She didn't want to risk running into anyone she knew from the village. By entering from the west instead of the east, they would also be significantly closer to the church.

Aside from the deserted path around the stone wall, most of the area was thickly forested. Even Kouga had to slow down in order to make it around and between all the trees. As he did so, the wind whipping past her ears quieted enough for her to hear another sound drifting on the morning air. It was the familiar, distressing sound of church bells tolling an important event.

Her grip on Kouga tightened and her heart throbbed painfully in her chest. If the bells were still ringing, then the ceremony hadn't started yet. They would be cutting it close, but it looked as though they would make it in time.

Or so Kagome thought until Kouga uttered a curse and skidded to a sudden stop. It took her a few seconds to brush her hair out of her eyes, but once she did, she immediately saw what had caught his attention.

Just ahead of them stood a man. At least Kagome assumed it was a man. Swathed as it was in a white pelt from head to toe, the figure could have been any number of things. He was facing in the other direction and at first she was unsure of whether or not he knew of their arrival. When he slowly turned to face them, though, she got the strangest feeling that he'd known they were coming for quite some time.

"Damn!" Kouga swore, starting to lower her to the ground.

"What is it?" she asked in a whisper.

"He's the one who attacked the demon from earlier."

Kagome could feel her eyes widen as every other part of her body froze. The image of the demon's bloody form flashed through her mind, raising goosebumps across her skin. Someone who could do so much damage to a trained soldier was obviously a threat. The only positive side to her standing face to face with such a dangerous foe, she thought with grim humor, was that it meant he wasn't at the church yet. As long as they occupied him, Inuyasha and the others would be safe.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Kouga and herself. The eerie aura surrounding Naraku, as the scout had called him, was an almost tangible promise of pain. The question wasn't if he would attack, it was when and how.

Kouga apparently felt the same. The arm that had just dropped from her waist when he's set her down returned to its former position. His grip was firm as he shifted closer to her so he could whisper in her ear. "When the time comes, find a spot out of the way and stay there. I'll take of him."

Kagome wanted to warn him about the brash confidence in his tone but she didn't get the chance. A split second after he finished speaking she was slung into his arms as he took off. She could feel the coiled power in hid body as he raced forward, moving so quickly that the trees around them blurred into streaks of brown and green. She caught a single glance of Naraku over Kouga's shoulder and immediately wished she hadn't. Dark tendrils seemed to boil from beneath his pelt, stretching outward and upward like blind, groping hands.

In the same instant that she saw one of them move in their direction, it impacted. Kagome couldn't be sure where it hit on Kouga, just that she caught a glancing blow across her hip. Kouga staggered a bit, his breath leaving his lungs in a heavy whoosh. He quickly regained his balance and struggled to pour on more speed. When he hissed in satisfaction, she dared to hope that they were momentarily safe.

The next thing she knew, she was free of Kouga's arms and flying through the air. The ground returned all too soon, rising up to greet her with bruising force. She cried out as she landed on her injured leg, the impact sending a hot burst of pain from her hip to her toes. Squeezing her eyes shut, she panted for breath as tears streamed down her cheeks. When she finally recovered enough to look up, she was stunned by what she saw.

Kouga was little more than a blur as he darted through the trees. He was leaping and dodging between trunks so fast that she would have thought it impossible for anyone to lock onto him. That thought was proved wrong as Naraku struck time and time again. Chunks of wood flew as the tentacles shot through all in their paths to reach Kouga and flay his flesh.

Kagome knew she had only one choice; she had to try and get to the village while Naraku was occupied by Kouga. The feeling that she was abandoning the wolf demon hurt her, but she could tell he wouldn't be able to keep his evasion up forever. She had to find help and find it fast.

****

X

Miroku stood against the wall of the church's back room with his hands clasped behind his back. He was almost completely motionless; his eyes were the only part of him that moved. They bounced back and forth across the room as they followed the path of one very agitated hanyou.

A loud growl ripped through the room as Inuyasha paused just long enough to rake his hands through his hair in an almost violent manner. It was an action he had repeated so often in the time they'd been standing together that Miroku was surprised that the floor wasn't littered with silver strands.

"You seem . . .uneasy, Inuyasha," he stated calmly. It was perhaps the largest understatement he had ever uttered, but he'd long since learned the value of starting slowly when it came to Inuyasha. He had to be led toward confiding his true thoughts, not thrust into them all at once. The second course of action would result in an explosion of rage and nothing more.

An angry glare was the only response to his statement. He took it as a sign to continue. "Your current state wouldn't have anything to do with the event about to take place, would it?" Another growl. Miroku had to fight back a smile. "If I might be so bold - When someone feels as unsure of an action as you do now, it's best for them to take a step back and make sure that it's what they really want to do."

"Of course I want to do this! It's all it'll take to fix everything. I have to do it."

Miroku refrained from pointing out the differenced between wanting to do something and having to do something. He had a feeling that Inuyasha already knew. What he needed to do was get Inuyasha to acknowledge the next basic truth: that a wedding was not something to go through with because you felt you had to. The only question was which tact to take in order to get the right result.

"You know that due to my position in the village, I'm privy to the opinions of the people here. I have to say that from what I've heard, they really like the changes that you've made. They've been saying that you're the best ruler this village has had in a very long time." He paused slightly before going in for the kill. "I find it hard to imagine that they would reject you in favor of someone who did a poor job, with or without a marriage to solidify your claim."

Inuyasha's steps slowed and Miroku knew he was getting through. He pushed onward. "I think you would have a good chance of keeping all that you've acquired without shackling yourself to a woman you obviously feel nothing good towards. If I'm right, do you really wan to never try and have to deal with Kikyo forever?"

"But my parents and the villagers think that I'm already married to Kikyo. They think this is just a show wedding for the benefit of my family."

"The people here would probably be ecstatic to know that Kikyo isn't really your wife, and I can't imagine your parents wanting anything but for you to be happy. From the time that I've spent with them, I'd say they'd be more understanding than you think." He didn't say it out loud, but he would be very surprised if Inuyasha's parents didn't know something of the situation happening right beneath their noses already. The too-pointed questions about Kikyo and Inuyasha's relationship had left him without a doubt in his mind that they were far from in the dark.

Inuyasha had come to a total stop, obviously deep in thought. His gaze was locked on the wall, but the vagueness in his eyes made it clear that he was seeing something else. All of a sudden he gave a sharp nod of his head. "You're right." He turned abruptly and headed to the smaller of the room's two doors. It led through a small hall to another door that was the church's rear exit.

It was that path that Inuyasha took without looking back. Miroku's eyes went from the open door to the closed one leading to a roomful of people and back again. Quickly gathering his senses, he hurried after the hanyou, catching up to him a good distance away.

"Inuyasha, you can't just leave! You have a dozen or more people back there expecting a wedding, including the bride and your parents! You have to go back and explain this to them."

"They're in the church and you're the priest, so you explain it to them. I have something to do."

"You can't be serious!"

Inuyasha shot him a look that said yes, he was quite serious. Miroku swallowed hard, imagining the coming confrontation. It would be hard enough trying to explain everything to Inuyasha's parents without having an audience of guardsmen and villagers.

His distressing thoughts trailed off as he noticed the frown on Inuyasha's face. He'd lifted his chin and his expression was darkening with every passing moment. "What is it?" Miroku asked.

The reply was awhile in coming and in a tone more growl than anything else. "Kagome . . .and blood."

"Are you sure?" he asked, but Inuyasha had already taken off. "Inuyasha!" His yelling had no effect; Inuyasha didn't even slow down. Miroku stood as still as stone as he watched him vanish into distance.

While his body was frozen, his mind was anything but. He had heard from Inuyasha himself that Kagome had left the village days ago. His best scout had confirmed her departure. She had no reason to return when she had been so determined to leave in the first place. It would have taken something very big to bring her back, and on that day of all days.

His thoughts shifted slightly. The scout that had checked up on Kagome had then been sent to meet with the others trying to find Kikyo. They had all returned, but he hadn't.

Almost without realizing it, his mind began clicking different bits of information together like puzzle pieces. He remembered the short conversation that he had had with Sango just that morning. She had told him about Kohaku's revelation that a powerful demon named Naraku had been behind the attack on him. She had also said that there was a very good chance that Kikyo was his accomplice, though neither she nor Kohaku had been close enough to her to confirm it.

If the solitary scout hadn't met up with the others, who had he met up with that was keeping him from returning? Was it the mysterious and dangerous Naraku? And what of Naraku himself? Was he truly in league with Kikyo? Had they come up with some plan before her capture that had him even then on his way to free her?

A heavy sensation grew in the pit of his stomach. Miroku had a feeling that something very big was about to happen and that Inuyasha was walking into it blindly. If Sango's estimation of Naraku's strength was even close, Inuyasha was going to be in a lot of trouble. Hesitating for only a moment, Miroku headed for the church to take matters into his own hands.


	32. The Art of Losing

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Another's Name But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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Chapter Thirty-Two

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The Art of Losing

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X

Kikyo stood in a corner of the church, her back straight and a cold expression on her face. From the nook where she was waiting, she could see the spectators but they couldn't see her. Her eyes swept over the small group of peasants huddled in the back up to the dignified couple seated in the very front row. A sneer curved her lips as she stared at the woman who had actually chosen to give birth to the child of a demon. It was an unthinkable act that roused a wave of disgust within her.

She shifted slightly, earning a warning look from the guard who stood at her side. His hand inched toward the sword strapped at his waist when she glared at him in response. Kikyo turned away from him, unwilling to waste anymore time or focus on a being that was little more than an animal in her eyes.

Her drifting gaze soon found the open doorway. Through it, at the farthest edge of her line of vision, stood the castle where she'd lived her entire life. A spurt of satisfaction formed inside her as she thought of how it would soon be hers again. Once Naraku had taken care of the usurper of her position, she would quickly resume her old life. It was just a matter of getting through the next few moments before all she desired became hers once more.

Kikyo found her thoughts interrupted by the sight of the dark-haired priest approaching the building at a good pace. She tensed as she realized that his arrival signaled that the wedding she had been dreading was soon to begin. She held her breath as he drew closer . . .only to let it out in a heavy sigh when he vanished around the building instead of coming inside as she had expected. Her eyes went to the door at the front of the church, but he didn't appear there immediately, either.

She frowned to herself. Something was definitely going on. The priest's steps had been too fast, his demeanor almost harried as he'd passed by her. It wasn't normal behavior for a wedding, even one that was running behind. Her posture straightened as a possible explanation occurred to her. It was quite likely that Naraku had begun his part of the plan.

Her frown turned into a smile and it was all she could do to keep from clapping her joy. Soon, so very soon, all the interlopers before her would get what was coming to them. They would be dealt with and tossed out of her life like the garbage that they were.

The priest finally reappeared at the front of the church, but this time, Kikyo felt nothing but anticipation. While Naraku had never told her exactly how he planned to accomplish that task, only that he would, she had no doubts. She decided that she would enjoy watching everything unfold before her. It would be like a play, only the spoils gained in the end would truly come to her.

The only sign of her thoughts was a quirk of her eyebrow that could have easily been mistaken as impatience to anyone who noticed it. As it was, she thought it unlikely that anyone had seen it at all. All their attention was focused on the priest as he hurried down the aide and approached the groom's father. Leaning over, he began a whispered speech while wearing a very serious expression on his face.

While their conversation was too quiet to be heard by anyone but those closest to them, their actions gave clue to the importance behind their topic. The priest gripped the back of the bench before him with one hand while using the other to gesture. He first motioned to somewhere outside, then to the back of the church, and finally outside once more. Whatever he said had the demon lord leaping to his feet while his wife covered a gasp with her clenched fist. He seemed ready to storm from the room but was stopped by more urgent whispers from the priest.

Kikyo turned her eyes away from the scene, afraid that her satisfaction would show on her face. It seemed more possible than ever that Naraku had gone into action, causing the absence of Inuyasha and the distress of those close to him. The priest had obviously come to rally support for the hanyou, not knowing that by the time it arrived, it would already be too late.

Her pleasant thoughts stuttered to a halt as she caught sight of a figure making its way away from the church. Though there was quite a bit of distance between them, Kikyo thought she recognized the dark clothing and high ponytail as belonging to the demon slayer she had once met with in a tavern. She shook her head, knowing it couldn't be possible. Though the girl had failed to kill Inuyasha in her rage, she should have no reason to be running towards the forest. If she were still in the village, and it was unlikely, she wouldn't be free to go where she pleased. She would have been held as a prisoner for attempting to murder Inuyasha.

Squinting slightly for a better look, Kikyo froze when her eyes landed on the large weapon the figure carried. It was an unmistakable sight; a large boomerang taller than the girl who wielded it. There was only one woman who used that particular weapon and wore dark armor.

But why was she still hanging around? Why was she allowed to roam free without a guard in sight? Where was she off to in such a hurry? What had she told those who should have been her captors?

Kikyo swallowed as a cold feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach. The situation that had seemed so very close to perfect moments before had taken a turn for the worse. So many questions were running through her head that she felt surrounded by them, boxed in and caged by them. They were so numerous and real to her that it took several seconds for the movement inside the church to sink into her consciousness.

The priest had finally finished talking and stood, looking drained, off to one side. The demon lord was now the center of attention, calling to the guards posted around the room. They rushed to his side, listening intently as he barked out orders that they then hurried to obey. With a final comment to his wife, Inuyasha's father left the room with the priest as his guide. Their long strides took them from sight in a matter of seconds.

Kikyo leaned back against the wall behind her, feeling the first inklings of panic set in. The confidence she'd felt in Naraku just moments before was quickly draining away, replaced by a stifling sense of fear. He had assured her he was strong enough to take down one measly hanyou and his guards, but was he strong enough to handle an angered full-blooded demon and a demon slayer who even he had acknowledged was the best of her kind?

As it usually was, her fear was quickly replaced by anger. There was no way she was going to risk losing all that she had fought for because there was a little more opposition than they had expected. If Naraku couldn't take care of Inuyasha, she would simply have to make sure it got done by doing it herself. Shooting a furtive look to both her left and her right, she saw that no one was paying much attention to her. They were all huddled together, discussing the unusual events that had just transpired before their eyes. The guard who had been her constant companion was gone, off with all the other guards obeying orders.

She inched towards the door, pausing often to make sure that she wasn't being watched. It took several minutes of slow movements, but she finally slipped outside into the morning sunlight. Bowing her head, she walked quickly towards the castle with one destination in mind.

The weapons room.

****

X

Inuyasha had broken into an all out run the moment h reached a spot clear enough to allow it. As he ran with the wind whipping past his ears, all thoughts of Kikyo, his parents, and the wedding that wasn't to be fled his mind. He had a single focus, and that was finding Kagome and making sure that she was all right.

As he raced through the trees, he reflected a bit bitterly on the similarities between this journey and another he had taken not so very long ago. It was the same as when she'd found Kohaku, rushing to her aid, wondering what kind of trouble she'd gotten into. The only difference was that this time, there wouldn't be a wounded boy as the only one in trouble. Since he was closer to her location, he was able to pick up her scent more clearly. There was fear in it, a lot of fear and pain.

The smell of blood was stronger as well, strong enough for him to learn that it wasn't Kagome's blood as he had first feared. It smelled of a demon, and there was a lot of it. His face twisted into a snarl of rage as he thought of Kagome at the hands of even a badly injured demon. When he got his hands on the one responsible, he was going to put his claws through him.

A choked scream reached his ears and sent a shiver up his spine. Even as muffled as the sound had been, he had immediately recognized Kagome's voice. She was close and she was hurting. Pouring on as much speed as he could manage, Inuyasha barreled forward towards the source of the scents and sound.

After what seemed like hours but was truly only seconds, Inuyasha skidded to a stop on a scene that could have been born of his worst nightmares. A white-garbed figure stood before him, appearing to sprout tentacles from beneath his cloak. One of those tentacles was wrapped tightly around Kagome's neck, holding her suspended ten feet from the ground. Her legs kicked as she clawed at the grasping extension, struggling to loosen its deathly tight grip. By the way her face was reddening and her movements were slowing, Inuyasha guessed she wasn't having any luck.

Her eyes opened, sending a river of tears coursing down her cheeks as they circled her surroundings in a blind panic. Her gaze swept over him once before coming back and focusing on him fully. He saw her eyes widen as she stared at him, then watched as she dropped one hand from her neck to reach towards him, her every gesture pleading for help.

That was all it took to get Inuyasha to spring into action. He leapt into the air, drawing his sword and swinging it in the same smooth motion. It sliced easily through the tentacle, leaving him a little off balance due to the amount of force he had used. He barely managed to gather himself in time to grab Kagome as she began plummeting towards the ground. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he landed a few feet away from where he had taken off and dropped into a protective crouch almost immediately.

With one eye on the silent figure behind him, Inuyasha looked down at Kagome's face. Her eyes were closed and she lay completely still, leaving him unsure if it was a reaction to the expected fall or if she was unconscious. Seeing that the severed piece of tentacle was still wrapped around her neck, her quickly cut it off with his claws, being very careful not to hit the skin beneath.

As soon as it was gone, Kagome drew in a deep, shuddering breath that turned into a wracking cough as the air agitated her airway. She raised a hand to her chest as she struggled to catch her breath, one burdened pant at a time. Her eyes remained closed, giving him a chance to look her over without her knowing it.

Dark circles rimmed her eyes, attesting to too little sleep recently. Scratches lined both her cheeks and a bruise was forming on one side of her forehead. She looked tired, disheveled, and beautiful to him. Unable to resist the temptation, he smoothed the tousled hair from her face, studying her features like he hadn't seen her in years rather than just days.

Her eyelashes fluttered then, causing him to jerk his hand away guiltily. He fought to assume an air of detachment as she stared up him, volumes of emotion in her eyes. He tried to ignore them, tried not to see the guilt, pain, and happiness blending together there.

"Inuyasha," she said, although her voice was more breath than sound. One of her hands lifted as though to touch him and he braced himself for the sensation, but it never came. A loud crash caught both of their attentions, drawing their concentration away from each other and onto a figure that leapt into view. It was a wolf demon, bleeding heavily from many wounds and staggering from exhaustion. He stumbled to a stop just feet from the strange man wrapped in the fur pelt, staring at him in what could only be called a taunting manner.

Inuyasha saw at once that the wolf demon was too tired to fight anymore. He knew it too and had obviously decided to make one last stand, facing his enemy head on. Inuyasha admired his choice at the same time as he acknowledged that it was the same one he himself would have made.

Kagome's sudden grip on his arm had him turning back to her. Her face had gone white as she watched the same tableau he'd been watching. Once more, her pleading eyes were turned on him, although the words accompanying them were not what he expected or wanted to hear.

"Please, Inuyasha, save Kouga."

His heart seemed to stutter in his chest. Kagome didn't notice his pained expression, though. As if forming the simple statement had taken all the energy she had, she'd slipped into unconsciousness right after it was spoken. He was left with a million questions, not the least of which was why she would beg him for the life of a wolf demon. How did she know his name? When did they meet? Exactly how well did they know each other?

A flash of movement behind him chased the thoughts from his mind. The still unknown enemy had struck again, slashing out with a speed he could barely follow. Reaching down, Inuyasha grasped his sword and stood. He would take care of this matter first and worry about getting answers later.

****

X

The first thing that Kagome felt as she regained consciousness was a pounding throb throughout her entire body. There wasn't a single part of her that didn't hurt. She groaned as she struggled to move, bringing another wave of pain through her body. It took much longer than usual but she finally managed to pull herself into a sitting position and open her eyes.

The sight in front of her was more than she could immediately absorb. She seemed to have woken in the middle of a battlefield. The dark form of Naraku was the centerpiece of a whirlwind of action. A red blur that she knew to be Inuyasha shot through the air, a massive sword clutched in his hand. Another figure stood on the outskirts of the fight but was just as involved in it. In the same manner that she had used when fighting Inuyasha, Sango wielded Hiraikotsu with speed and skill. Kouga seemed to be in a position closer to hers, leaning heavily against tree trunks between his sporadic attempts at attacking. Whatever force he lacked due to his injuries, he made up for with agility as he dodged and distracted Naraku at critical moments.

The most stunning sight, though, was the large white dog that seemed to be doing the most damage. With its massive jaws, it was tearing into everything that Naraku threw at it. Slashing with its claws, it was tearing Naraku limb from limb.

As she watched in a mixture of awe and disbelief, the battle was ended. What was left of Naraku was scattered throughout the forest, seeming to dissolve into piles of blackish ooze. The warriors lowered their weapons, taking a much needed and earned break. Kagome was startled as the large dog turned into a man before her very eyes until she remembered Inuyasha telling her about full-blooded demons having more than one form. At first glance, she thought it was Sesshomaru, but a closer look proved her wrong. She could only guess that it was Inuyasha's father, whom she'd yet to lay eyes on.

Inuyasha. Now that the immediate threat seemed to be over, her mind was shifting to the next confrontation. How could she stand to look him in the eye after all that she had done? Would he even want to talk with her? Sure, he had rescued her, but she knew he would have done the same for anyone in same position. It was nothing personal, merely the ingrained sense of honor he firmly denied having. Now that she was safe, she would see how he really felt about her.

A knot tightened in her stomach and she had to look away from the sight of him speaking with his father. She didn't know how she was going to make it through the next few moments, but somehow she'd find a way. Then she'd make her escape once more, and this time, there would be no coming back.

The movement she caught out of the corner of her eye was slight, but enough to catch her attention. Turning her head, she saw something that made her entire body go stiff with fear.

Kikyo stood just yards away, a drawn bow in her hands. Her face was a mask of determination as she took careful aim . . .at Inuyasha.

Kagome tried to scream, but found that the words stuck in her throat. She then did the only other thing that she could do. Digging her fingers into the soil at her sides for leverage, she hauled her aching body up. As soon as she was upright enough to move, she began running forward. Even if she didn't reach Inuyasha in time, she hoped that her movements would be enough to attract someone's attention to Kikyo and the danger she was posing.

Time seemed to slow as her legs stretched as far as they would go. Her field of vision narrowed until all she saw was Inuyasha, all she knew was that she had to reach his side. Her fingers stretched out in front of her, reaching to grasp him . . .

_Fwwuutt!_She heard the arrow sing as it left the bow, shooting through the air at great speed. Kagome knew it was coming closer, but there was nothing she could do. Just as she knew it was about to impact, she threw herself at Inuyasha, knocking them both backward several steps.

Then there was nothing but a soft cry reaching her ears, a warm weight settling against her body, and the feel of hot blood flowing over her side.


	33. Reflection

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Another's Name But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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**X**

**X**

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

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Reflection

**… … … …**

**X**

**X**

Inuyasha stared down at the limp form lying in his arms with a cloying sense of grief. Kagome's eyes were closed, her face blanched of all color. A section of her hair covered the right side of her face and he moved to brush it away, shuddering at the eerie coolness of her skin against his fingertips. His hand continued its downward trail, over her bruised throat and unmoving chest. It came to a stop on her side, where sluggish spurts of blood still welled from the arrow wound.

His throat felt almost too tight to breath as his emotions warred within him. Loss and grief sought to smother him while his anger urged him to action and revenge. His hands tightened around Kagome's body as he finally raised his eyes to his surroundings. The first thing that he saw was the woman standing directly in front of him, the bow she held only just dropping to her side.

All it took was one look at Kikyo's cold and vaguely satisfied expression for Inuyasha to snap. A low, threatening growl rolled from his throat as the edges of his vision tinged red. His entire world narrowed to her, his desire to wipe the smirk off her face intensifying until his entire body ached with it.

He wasn't consciously aware of moving but when he came back to himself, he was the whole way across the clearing. Kikyo lay beneath him, her face purpling vividly as a result of his hands wrapped around her throat. Although a part of him knew that it was wrong, he couldn't seem to stop himself. The knowledge that she had stolen something very important and irreplaceable from him grated at the back of his consciousness, driving him to tighten his hands until a sharp _crack _rent the air . . .

****

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Inuyasha awoke with a start, his eyes swerving wildly around him as he was swamped with a heavy sense of disorientation. His gaze dropped to his hands, folded in a white knuckle grip around the now-broken arm of the chair in which he sat.

The images from his dream returned to him, causing his entire body to stiffen in response. The feel of Kikyo's neck between his hands felt so real that the sensation lingered on his palms even after waking. In reality, he had never laid a hand on Kikyo, his father and Miroku having accomplished that task while he was still dazed at the sudden chain of events. All of his attention was focused on Kagome, who had collapsed in his arms moments after Naraku's defeat.

The instant that he had seen the arrow protruding from her side would likely be seared into his mind until the day that he died. His heart had stopped beating in his chest at the sight of the red, red blood staining her dress and flowing down her side. For the longest of moments he could do nothing but stare, seeing it but unable to truly believe it. It had taken her groan of pain to rouse him from his stillness.

The next minutes passed in a blur. He barely remembered the trip back to the castle with Kagome's unconscious body in his arms. What he did remember was the fear that wormed it's way inside of him and refused to leave. Fear that he would make it back too late and she would die of her wounds. Fear that he would lose her forever, just when he realized how much he needed her. Fear that everything that mattered would be lost to him with no way to ever get it back.

Kaede's attempts to take Kagome from him had finally roused him from his dark thoughts. Inuyasha had refused to relinquish her, remaining by her side as the old woman removed the arrow before carefully cleaning, closing, and bandaging the wound. He had been the one to carry her to his own bedroom, tucking her beneath the covers and then taking his place at her side. Although the chair that was his resting place was far from comfortable, there wasn't a thing in the world that would have gotten him to move.

Peeling his hands from the cracked wood, Inuyasha focused his eyes on the figure lying in the bed. Kagome looked exactly the same as she had when he'd last checked on her: pale and still, lacking the vibrant life that had been such a big part of who she was. It hurt him to see her so, knowing that she should be playing with Shippo and laughing, or dancing around the hallways when she thought no one was watching. The silent, unmoving body before him was nothing less than a crime against her very nature.

A bit disheartened that she was no better, Inuyasha took a small amount of reassurance in the knowledge that she was, at the very least, no worse off than she'd been before he'd fallen asleep. He rose from the chair, carefully stretching his cramped muscles. The early morning light streaming through the windows showed him that the night had since given way to another morning, making it nearly a full day since Kagome had been injured.

Beginning to pace, Inuyasha raked a hand through his hair. He knew that he had a million responsibilities to see to, not the least of which the woman who had tried so hard to end his life. There were explanations to be made to his parents, village leaders to talk to, even a few people to thank for their assistance. He would have to get in touch with Kagome's family to let them know what had happened, and also deal with the mangy wolf he'd been forced to defend the day before.

But he didn't want to do any of that. Although he knew it wasn't rational, some part of his mind was convinced that if he left Kagome's side, she would slip away from him. It didn't matter that Kaede had assured him that she was strong enough to recover. It didn't matter that she was in no condition to walk out of his life as she had done before. The little voice in his head, which seemed to be connected to the ache in his chest and the tenseness in his stomach, plain and simply refused to let him leave her side.

And who was he to argue? That was where he wanted to be anyway. Even if she didn't know that he was there, _he_ knew it. It was he who gave her water, wiped her brow, and listened carefully to every breath she drew in. Not Kaede, not the perverted priest, and certainly not the flea-bitten excuse for a demon she'd arrived with.

A frown crossed his features as he thought about the wolf. In the small room, he couldn't help but notice that Kagome reeked of his scent. They had obviously spent some time very close to one another. He found himself thinking of all the different meanings that could have and not liking a single one of them. He might have been slow to realize it, but Kagome was his. There was no way he was going to hand her over to someone who couldn't even keep her from harm. If that wolf so much as thought about taking her away, he'd be more than delighted to teach him otherwise. Kagome's place was by his side, and that was where he intended to keep her.

Unless she no longer wanted to be there.

Inuyasha's mood took another violent swing toward melancholy as he thought of that possibility. He had to admit that there was a good chance she would choose to leave once more. The part that she had played in the entire situation obviously weighed heavily on her mind. She had felt it so deeply that she'd been unable to face him with the truth once before, choosing to use a note instead. Nothing about that had changed, except to get worse when he had decided to marry Kikyo. Even if she could forgive herself, would she be able to forgive him?

On the other hand, she had returned. He didn't know the exact reason behind her decision to come back, but just her presence spoke volumes. She had come to a place where she was likely to have to face him and she had done it of her own free will. It could have been a sign that she hadn't really wanted to leave in the first place, or that she was as unhappy with the way that things had turned out that he was.

Whatever the reasoning, he decided he would look at it as a good sign until she told him otherwise. Of course, it would have been an even better sign had there not been another man involved in the situation . . .

The knock that came on the door just then was so unexpected that Inuyasha nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of it. It took him several seconds longer than usual to make his body move across the room and pull it open. When he did, the sight of his father standing on the threshold almost made him wish he hadn't.

His father wasted no time in getting to the point of the visit. "We need to talk, and we need to talk now." His expression was serious and stern, making it instantly clear that he knew more about the situation than Inuyasha would have wished.

Inuyasha's first reaction was to close the door as though he hadn't heard. Only years of experience with his father's temper and his own respect for the older demon kept him from doing so. He merely tightened his grip in the door handle as though afraid his father would attempt to pull him away bodily. "I think I should stay here in case she wakes up."

There was a moment of silence before his father sighed. "I know that you want to be here right now, but I also know there are some things we need to discuss. A lot of those are things you should hear before she wakes up. It won't take too long, and you won't be leaving her alone." He turned slightly, motioning to the shadowy figure that had been blocked from view until that moment.

Kaede stepped past the youkai lord and his son, moving toward the chair that Inuyasha had so recently vacated. He saw her look at the broken arm before she threw a questioning glance his way. He ignored her, looking instead at the small bundle of fluff resting on her shoulder. Shippo didn't spare a single look at him; the kitsune's entire focus was on the bed and its sleeping occupant.

It was Inuyasha's turn to sigh. He knew that his father was unlikely to take no for answer. He also knew that there were no better hands that he could leave Kagome in until his return. His best bet was to do as his father asked and get it over with so that he could return to her side as soon as possible. With a final glance back at Kagome, he left the room.


	34. She Cries Your Name

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Another's Name But My Heart

By _Lady of the Ink_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that . . .I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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**A/N:**

I'm going to use the name "Inutaisho" for Inuyasha's father since it seems to be the most common choice. If it's wrong, I'm sorry, but I'm just tired of using "his father", "the youkai lord", etc.

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**Chapter Thirty-Four**

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She Cries Your Name

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Inuyasha walked down the hallway at his father's side, all the while wanting nothing more than to turn on his heel and return to Kagome. The sense of responsibility that he'd spent the night ignoring would no longer allow that, making it's reappearance on a strong wave of guilt. He figured that the least he could do was give his father some of his time after all the omissions and secrets he'd piled up between them. They could settle the most pressing of the issues, thus allowing him to get back to where he truly wanted to be.

In order to speed up the whole process, Inuyasha took the lead. His first question was the most obvious choice to start with. "What's been done about Kikyo?"

His sharp tone earned him a look from his father, raised eyebrow and all. "Now which Kikyo would that be? Half the people I've talked with say that it's the crazy woman with the bow, while the other half swear that the injured girl down the hall is Kikyo. Care to clarify?"

Inuyasha bowed his head in an attempt to hide his reddening cheeks. He knew that his father had every right to chastise him; but that didn't mean he had to like it. "Didn't Miroku explain all this to you already?" he asked almost desperately.

"Your priest friend covered the basics, but I'd like to hear your side of the story." Inutaisho stopped to lean his shoulder against the wall and cross his arms over his chest. His posture made it clear he was settling in and not planning to move until he got enough answers to satisfy him.

Inuyasha took a deep breath as he tried to decide where to begin. He wasn't sure what all Miroku would consider "the basics", so he decided to start his recounting from the beginning. For the first time since the start of the visit, Inuyasha was completely honest with his father. He explained how difficult Kikyo had been in the beginning, refusing to meet with him or entertain any ideas of a peaceful resolution. He went on to talk of his surprise when she had suddenly agreed to a marriage and of the ceremony that followed.

When he began to talk about the weeks he'd spent with Kagome thinking she was Kikyo, Inuyasha's words came slower and with more difficulty. Even though he considered their relationship as good as resolved in his own mind, the shadow hanging over the memories of that time still stung. Inuyasha forced himself to continue, though, leaving out only the most personal details of his relationship with Kagome, unwilling to share them with his father lest he get the wrong idea.

His hands tightened into fists as he recounted Kikyo's return and the plan he'd decided upon and set into motion. He knew his father could see the redness on his face, but this time he didn't try to hide it. He'd already figured out that he had been wrong about marrying Kikyo and acted on it by leaving the church before the wedding. He wasn't going to try and defend his earlier choice; he'd let his final actions stand for themselves.

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Little did Inuyasha know that his father was more amused than angry at the things he was learning. It had been clear from the very start of their visit that Inuyasha and many others in the castle were hiding something from them. Too many of their stories didn't quite match up, and there were a number of people who refused to meet their eyes. While it could have had something to do with his being a demon and their lack of experience with his kind, Inutaisho didn't think that was the case. They had spoken easily enough with both Inuyasha and Shippo, but had had the same difficulty being forthright with Inuyasha's mother, a human just like them.

Subtle snooping had garnered him a few clues, but nothing that he'd been able to put together into a full explanation. The priest's admissions at the church hadn't been as surprising as they might have been otherwise. He had already known there was another girl somehow involved. Her scent had been everywhere around the castle while his son's supposed bride's was noticeably absent.

Any satisfaction he had gotten from being right had disappeared the moment that he'd heard Inuyasha was in danger. He'd been out of the church before the words fully left the priest's mouth and was soon embroiled in a battle in the forest. Even enmeshed in the fight as he was, he had taken note of the human girl lying unconscious to one side and the lengths that Inuyasha went while trying to simultaneously defeat the strange demon and protect her from harm. He'd assumed her to be the other woman, Kagome.

Inutaisho had realized in that moment why Inuyasha had failed to go through with the wedding. He was obviously in love with this other girl, even after all that she had been a party to.

And when the girl had thrown herself, without the slightest of hesitations, in the arrow's path to save Inuyasha, he'd realized that those feelings were returned. He wondered if Inuyasha knew it, too.

Deciding to test the waters, he started subtly. "So you were going to marry Kikyo in order to safeguard your hold on these lands, but you couldn't go through with it."

"And now I'm going to lose everything to some crazy woman with a bow and a death wish." Inuyasha's head hung; his tone was full of bleakness.

Inutaisho chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about it, son. While you've been locked up in that room, I've been talking with the people around here. I don't think that you would have a problem if you wanted to remain in charge around here. None of them are too anxious to be under Kikyo's rule again."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "How do they even know about this?"

"There was a church full of people when your priest friend explained things to me. The entire village knew before nightfall." Inutaisho watched as his son absorbed that information, his features reflecting first disbelief, then anger, and finally concern. Suspecting what his next question would be, Inutaisho hurried to reassure him. "No, they don't know all the details. Kagome's name was never mentioned, just that there was another woman involved. If she wants to go back to her old life, no one would be the wiser." Inuyasha slumped in relief. "Of course, it would also be okay if you decided to marry her again. The people around here seem to like her just fine, and I don't think they'd have any problems with her being the lady of the castle."

He was rewarded for his brazenness with the sight of his youngest son spluttering and turning red. He would have laughed out loud had he not known that there was a seriousness lurking behind the humor. Inuyasha was not the kind of person who felt comfortable talking about feelings. He was even less uncomfortable talking about _his_ feelings. Even though he obviously cared deeply for the girl down the hall, there was a good chance he would refuse to act on those feelings for fear of being rejected.

The last thing that Inutaisho wanted was to see Inuyasha miss out on a chance for true happiness. If he had to prod him to make a move, he would do it. If it took teasing to put certain ideas into his head, he would do that too. He would offer all the advice that he could and hope that Inuyasha used it to get what he so obviously desired. Before he left for the Western Lands, he wanted to see his son happily settled with someone who cared as deeply for him as he knew Kagome did.

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Kagome sat up in bed with a half dozen pillows behind her back. One person or another was always popping into the room to see if she needed another one, even though such an addition would likely bend her forward far enough to risk smothering in the thick layer of blankets covering her lap.

While she was flattered at the goodhearted attention she was receiving, it was also slowly driving her crazy. Between offers of water, soup, more pillows or blankets, and simple wishes, she'd had almost no time to herself since she'd awakened from the injury induced sleep. After five days under everyone's careful eyes, she was ready to scream from the lack of privacy. Without the quiet time necessary for her to process them, the dozens of questions rebounding in her mind just grew louder and larger.

Kagome sighed and tried to lean back, but she was stopped almost immediately by the mass of pillows stuffed behind her back. With a growl of frustration, she twisted to pull two of them free and hurl them across the room. The action sent a fiery burst of pain through her side, leaving her panting and hunched over. It was in that position that Inuyasha found her.

Striding across the floor, he took her shoulders in his hands, easing her into a more restful pose. He let go the moment she was settled, shoving his hands into the opposite sleeves as thought unsure what else to do with them. "Are you okay?" he finally asked, meeting her eyes for the briefest of seconds before looking away.

Nodding quickly, Kagome locked her gaze on the foot of the bed to avoid having to look at him. She had been dreading this meeting since she had woken up and had put it off for as long as she could. At first she had pretended sleep whenever he had come to visit, which had been more often than she would have liked. Then she had implied through motions that her throat was still too sore for talking. Now she was all out of excuses and had no choice but to face the inevitable.

Her fingers twined together in her lap as she thought about what was about to come. Inuyasha would finally have his chance to address everything that she had written in the note. It was exactly the scene she had hoped to avoid, and the entire reason she hadn't faced him in the first place. Now she would have to be face to face with him while he told her what he thought of her.

The grip her hands had on one another tightened until her knuckles turned white. She wished that she had had the courage to face him the first time around, when at least she had known where she stood with him. Now she was in the dark about everything that had been going on post-Naraku. As often as she had asked, no one would tell her anything about Kikyo or the wedding. They had all just shook their heads and told her not to worry about it until she was fully recovered.

Kagome stole a quick look at Inuyasha from the corner of her eye. She found no conciliation in the fact that he looked as uncertain as she felt. It could be simply because he was unsure how to tell her that he wanted her to leave, that he was married to Kikyo and would rather not be reminded of his mistakes.

That thought was so depressing that she let out an unintentional sigh. Inuyasha had to have heard it, and it seemed like he took it as a sign to begin the conversation they had both been avoiding thus far.

"We need to talk, Kagome," he said, sending a tingle up her spine at hearing her name from his lips for the first time. She tamped down the feeling, struggling to keep her face as expressionless as she could as she nodded in response.

Inuyasha fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and back again. Apparently giving up on being comfortable while standing, he turned to pull over the chair that had been resting by her bedside since before she had woken up. He settled into it, his posture slumped and tense at the same time. With his head bowed until his chin almost touched his chest, he mumbled something that she couldn't quite make out.

"What?" she asked, unconsciously leaning closer to him.

"I said . . .thank you. For what you did." He made a vague gesture towards her side where the arrow had struck. Kagome felt a glow rise within her that he had at least appreciated that gesture. She hadn't been expecting even that much.

"You're welcome. I . . .I didn't really think . . .I just acted . . ."

"Acted stupid, you mean. Did it ever cross your mind that you could have been killed? And doing what? Taking an arrow that would have laid me up for a day, two days at most. Unlike you, I happen to be half demon. No little arrow could have done that much damage."

The warm glow was gone, replaced by a quick rising anger she had never known she'd possessed before meeting him. Who did he think he was, she thought, lecturing her for trying to help! The nerve! She leveled burning eyes on him, unwilling to keep her thoughts to herself when it might be the last chance she would ever have to vent them. "Well, excuse me, Mr. Almighty-Half-Demon, for not wanting you to get hurt! Like I said, I wasn't thinking at the time. If I had been, I would have let it hit your arrogant hide. It might have made you think a little less of yourself!"

Inuyasha stood so fast that the chair he'd been sitting in tipped over backward. "Who asked you to try and protect me? It's not like you could, anyway. You should have just stayed out of the way, like any other person with half a brain would have!"

"Well, forgive me, _Lord Inuyasha_. The next time that you're in danger, I'll just sit back and watch, doing nothing!" The moment that the words were out of her mouth, Kagome wished she could call them back. There would be no next time for them, not for her seeing him in danger or for anything else.

Their eyes met for an instant before they both turned away with red cheeks. Kagome coughed lightly to hide her embarrassment as Inuyasha returned his chair to its original position. He didn't sit in it, though, choosing to stand by the bedside instead. Silence filled the room as though neither of them could think of what to say in the aftermath of her unthinking comment.

"Look, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to say it. I want you to stay here. As my wife."

Kagome almost swallowed her tongue in shock at Inuyasha's words. It was the last thing that she would have ever expected him to say, not to mention its coming completely out of the blue. Since she was beyond words, she was glad when Inuyasha continued talking . . .until she realized what he was saying.

"I've been talking with a lot of people and they all agree that I should stay here as the ruler. Kikyo was never fit for the role and after what she did, no one wants her back. That means that I can marry whoever I want and not worry about losing my claim here. I also know that everyone here would be happy if you'd stay. They all like you much better than Kikyo."

"They like Kaede better than Kikyo, too, so why don't you marry her?" she shot back. It was hardly a love proposal, and she couldn't help but feel slightly offended by the way he had chosen to put it. She welcomed the anger his clumsiness brought even as she recognized it for what it truly was: a mask for her true feelings and a way to put off what she knew she had to do.

For all that she wanted to say yes, to remain by his side for the rest of her life, Kagome knew that she couldn't. She'd had a lot of time to think about it, and she'd come to several conclusions. There was too much between them that would never get resolved, too many insecurities that would never get assuaged if they jumped back into a relationship. No matter how good of a start they got off to, it would be built on lies and un-dealt with issues. Over time, it would be sure to crumble, and that was something she didn't think she could take.

Sighing sadly, Kagome caught Inuyasha's hands between her own. Looking him in the eye, she was as honest as she could stand to be. "I'm not going to lie and say that I don't care about you, because I do. It scares me how much I do. But I can't lie to myself either, and pretend that we could just go on like nothing happened. Everything about the past few months would come back to taint any future we tried to make with each other right now and turn it into something that we regretted." She swallowed as she felt tears fill her eyes. "I can't take anymore regrets, Inuyasha. The ones I already have are killing me."

Her heart breaking in her chest, Kagome uttered the hardest words of her life. "I can't stay with you."

His face registered shock for the space of several heartbeats before he pulled his hands from hers and stormed from the room. Kagome was left to stare after him with tears pouring down her cheeks and a heart that was breaking for the second time.

"Inuyasha . . .I'm so sorry . . ."

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**10/23 Note: **

Okay, I just want to say a few things in response to some of the reviews I already got. First of all, I know the end of this chapter didn't go over too well, but it was there for a reason. All of the points that Kagome made were true. If you start a relationship off with lies and then continue on without ever addressing and dealing with those lies, the chances are very good that the relationship won't last. That's why I decided that they wouldn't wind up together as soon as one of them admitted their feelings.

Point two is Inuyasha's walking away. Have we ever seen Inuyasha get mushy the moment emotions come up? Has he ever dropped to his knees to declare undying love to anyone? No. He's not that kind of person. He tries to find ways to get what he wants without having to admit to his feelings because he doesn't handle his softer side well. He'd rather go with any excuse he can think of (shard detector, anyone?) instead of admitting that he cares. That's as honest as he can get (extreme situations aside), and it takes a lot for him to get even there. When those attempts are shot down, he responds with anger and avoidance, not pleas for the person to change their mind.

I think that the last chapter was more realistic than a lot of people would have liked, but it was what I felt was needed. As I've said it many times, I would have thought more people would remember that I dislike unhappy endings and so I wouldn't leave it at that ending. The epilogue is a much more pleasing, both to myself and I think to everyone else, ending of this story. If you hold on for one more week, I promise you won't be sorry.


	35. Epilogue My Happy Ending

**Another's Name, But My Heart  
By** _Lady of the Ink  
_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this plot and all the twists that it takes.

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**Epilogue**

a.k.a. _My Happy Ending_

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Kagome smiled at her mother, offering a small wave as she stepped out the door. The past seven months had strengthened the already close relationship that the Higurashi women shared. It had been on her mother's shoulder that Kagome had cried, her mother's words that had given her comfort, and her mother's advice that had helped her to keep going. She was one of the few people of people outside the castle that knew the whole story behind her time away. The rest of the villagers - her grandfather and Souta included - still thought that she had merely accepted a job there that had since come to an end.

There were too many occasions to count over the recent months that Kagome had found herself giving thanks for her mother. The older woman had listened and not judged, seeming to understand the reasons behind her actions without her having to explain them. While Kagome was sure there were some things that her mother was disappointed in her about, she never showed anything but her willingness to be supportive. She had been sympathetic to her daughter's pain, giving her the time to herself that she needed after her return home.

Mrs. Higurashi had also been the one to say that enough was enough and force Kagome to get back to living something close to a normal life. She had started out slow, urging her to do a few small chores around the house to keep herself busy. The small chores gradually turned into bigger ones, and before she knew it, Kagome was back into the swing of her life before Inuyasha. Yamada had even offered her her old job back, an opportunity for a long-term distraction that she accepted the moment she felt ready to reenter the public eye.

Everything was going more smoothly than she had hoped. She had her mother's support and the comfort of her family, the simple pleasure of being surrounded by people she'd known all her life, and a job that kept her mind off more depressing things. Both working in the bakery and doing the deliveries also put her in a prime position to hear all the local gossip. It was from this source that she learned of Kikyo's removal - with her aunt's blessing - to a convent where she would be taken care of and kept out of trouble. There wasn't so much as a whisper of discontent at the decision, especially since everyone knew of the extreme measures she had used to first avoid her responsibilities and then attempt to reclaim them. While they were all upset at the fact that she had tried to kill Inuyasha in such a dishonorable way, it was the attack on Kohaku, an innocent child, that had really enraged them. Kagome had a feeling that Kikyo's leaving was also for her own protection.

One of the hardest things she had had to listen to was her own part in the story. Of course, no one knew it was her, but it was embarrassing nonetheless. It was all she could do not to blush when she heard the slightly distorted version of her role that was going around. Gossip had the "pretend Kikyo" marked as everything from one of the castle maids to a foreign princess. For a short while, they had even suspected her of being Kikyo's sister, an illegitimate heir to the lands who'd taken the opportunity to get her hands on what would otherwise never be hers.

That one had thankfully died out quickly due to her disappearance. After all, what kind of opportunist would leave behind the position and treasures without taking so much as a trinket with her? In the end, the villagers had seemed to sympathize with the "unknown" girl, wishing her luck wherever she had gone off to. It was heartwarming for Kagome to find that her friends and neighbors didn't blame her, and that they were all good enough to wish well someone they thought they'd never met. It reaffirmed her decision to remain in the village, regardless of the downside of such a choice.

That downside had reared its head when she'd been called upon to make her first delivery inside the castle's inner circle. Although it wasn't for the castle itself, it was close enough to bring a lump to her throat and a cold sheen of sweat to her skin. She had wanted to cry off, but knew that avoiding it would just make matters worse in the end. People might get suspicious if she suddenly refused to go near the castle, and the last thing she wanted was for them to put two and two together. Painful memories and the risk of being recognized wouldn't stop her, she decided, determined to face it like she'd faced every other hurdle that had appeared in her path.

Even with her resolve, Kagome had put off the delivery until it was the last one of the day. The trip there took nearly twice as long as it should have since she dragged her feet with every step in order to delay the inevitable moment when the massive stone building would rise into view, bringing with it memories just barely repressed. It was just as tough a trial as she had expected it to be, but she forced herself to focus only on the task at hand and keep walking.

The building she was directed to was one she'd never seen before. Judging by the pristine condition, she assumed it had been built during the continued spree of renovation and expansion. It wasn't large, smaller even than the home she shared with her family, but its placement and the care that had obviously been taken with its construction showed that its inhabitants were of some importance. Kagome played a horrible sort of guessing game with herself on who it might be up until the moment the door opened and a familiar face appeared.

Sango hadn't seemed at all surprised to see her, a fact that was explained when she confessed to bringing her there on purpose. She had asked Kaede to help her get in touch, and the old woman had confided in Kagome's profession before and after her stint as Kikyo.

What started that day as Sango's sincere thanks for Kagome having stopped her from making a terrible mistake turned into a conversation that lasted for hours. They had talked about a lot of things and found they had more in common than either would have imagined. By the time that Kagome went home that night, she knew she'd found a friend she'd keep for her lifetime.

The following weeks had proved that prediction as their friendship grew stronger each time they met. Kagome learned that Sango had settled in while Kohaku continued to recover from his injuries. Since they had no expenses while living there, she had also been able to take a break from her job and just enjoy spending time with her little brother. And although no one brought it up directly, Kagome had a feeling that there was another man occupying some of those newly free hours as well. On the days when Miroku joined them for their conversations, she had noticed a decided charge between the two that seemed to hold more meaning than the priest's habitual flirt and grope routine.

At first it had been a little difficult for Kagome to be witness to their growing closeness, but she had adjusted to it as she had everything else. Now, so many months later, she felt only happiness when she saw them together; well, that and humor when Sango had to remind Miroku of his place with her palm.

As her home vanished into the distance behind her, Kagome felt a smile of anticipation rise to her face. She always had a good time when she made plans with Miroku and Sango, but this day promised to be even better than the others. The sky was clear, the weather was warm, and she just had a good feeling that couldn't be explained.

After stopping off to retrieve her contribution to the picnic from Yamada, Kagome headed to the agreed upon meeting place. It was a small section of garden not too far from Sango's new home. Although it was inside the courtyard, it was isolated enough that they wouldn't be interrupted and Kagome didn't have to fear recognition.

She found a blanket already spread out and waiting. Setting her basket down on the edge, she scanned the area for her friends. Seeing no one, she was just about to go looking for them when a ball of brown fur came hurtling at her. Almost faster than she could brace for the impact, Shippo threw himself into her arms, latching onto her in a hug as though he never wanted to let go.

Knowing that his arrival meant the others were near, Kagome dropped onto the blanket, hugging Shippo back warmly. She always missed the kitsune cub when she was away from him, although he seemed to miss her more. Even if it had only been a day since their last meeting, he greeted her as though it had been weeks instead. She couldn't blame him; after all, the poor thing had been orphaned, dragged across the land and left in a strange place where he didn't know anyone. Even she, the person who had promised to be there for him, had wound up abandoning him to loneliness.

It always brought tears to Kagome's eyes when she thought about their reunion. Sango had explained that he was having a hard time dealing with her disappearance and asked if it would be all right to have him there for Kagome's next visit. She had agreed, feeling guilty over not having suggested it herself. She wanted to see him, but she just hadn't felt ready for all the explanations she would have been obliged to make. It had been a painful experience, with both of them in tears by the end, but they'd reaffirmed their relationship by the time they parted ways.

Shippo had been the first one to break the unspoken taboo and mention Inuyasha's name. It had come up when he asked about the day she left.

"I was so worried about you after you got hurt. At first, Inuyasha wouldn't even let anyone else in the room to see you. We just had to sit outside and wait. And then I did get to see you for a few days, but then you just disappeared! It was the same time that Kouga left and I thought that maybe you decided to marry him and never come back and I wouldn't ever get to see you again . . ." His voice turned into more of a wail than words at that point and Kagome had gathered him close.

"Shippo, why would you think I would marry Kouga and never come back?" she'd asked gently, slightly confused by his fears.

"Be-because that's what he s-said you'd do! While you were h-hurt, he kept going around, telling everyone t-that you were his wo-woman and that he'd b-be able to take better care of you. T-then you l-left with him and . . .and . . ."

"Oh, Shippo." Resting her chin lightly on top of his head, she'd rocked back and forth. "I left because it had been a long time since I saw my family. Things here were very complicated, and I needed time to work them out in my head. I never meant to make you hurt like this, and I hope that you'll forgive me."

"B-but Kouga . . ."

"Kouga might have wanted me to go back with him, but that wasn't what I wanted. In fact, that's why I walked with him when we both left, to tell him that. He's a nice person, and I'd be glad to be his friend, but I don't think I'd ever marry him. And nothing could make me stop seeing you, okay?"

He'd pulled away enough to study her face as though searching her features to make sure she was telling the truth. Apparently satisfied with what he found, he smiled and hugged her again. Since then, he had become as much a fixture at the get-togethers as Miroku was. Once Kohaku was well enough, he had begun joining them too, making each time like a little party.

Voices approached from around the corner, including one calling Shippo's name. Bouncing off to meet Kohaku, with whom he'd become fast friends, Shippo left her alone on the blanket. Kagome leaned backwards, bracing herself with both arms. She closed her eyes, pleased to feel the warmth of the sun on her face and the cool breeze across her skin.

There was a rustle of fabric as someone took a seat beside her. Kagome smiled without opening her eyes, already knowing who it was.

"How was your visit with your mother?"

"Good; it was nice seeing her. I told her she has to come visit more often, and bring Grandpa and Souta with her. I think they'd get along well with Kaede and Kohaku and Shippo. Grandpa's always talking about old remedies and he needs to get out of the house more. Kaede could use the company, too, now that Kikyo's gone."

Her companion grunted, leaning just close enough that their arms brushed. Kagome's smile widened as she felt the small action, knowing what it meant. Sitting up straight, she opened her eyes to look at Inuyasha, who pointedly looked in another direction. Giggling at what she now knew to be his well-hidden sense of shyness, Kagome scooted over until she was leaning right up against his side. Barely a moment passed before she felt his arm rise up to curl around her waist.

With a contented sigh, she allowed her eyes to close once more. Even after two months of being married to Inuyasha - as herself this time - Kagome still found being by his side a simple pleasure she never wanted to lose. He might never be the kind of person who wanted to hold hands in front of other people, but knowing that he wanted to be close to her was enough for her.

Her mind drifted back to their first meeting after she had left the castle. She had been doing her deliveries when a flash of red out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. When she had turned to see what had caused it, it was gone. The same thing had continued on through the morning, making her more and more frustrated every time that it happened. By the time her last delivery had been made, she was ready to scream with the strain of wondering what he was doing.

She'd stormed off to the closest secluded area and called his name, knowing he would hear her. Such a long amount of time passed without a response that she'd feared he would ignore her. Just as she was about to give up and head back, the branches of the tree in front of her rustled and Inuyasha leapt lightly to the ground.

They'd spent some more time just avoiding each other's eyes while surreptitiously sneaking glances at one another. The moment stretched on until something inside of Kagome just snapped. Marching up until she was just a few inches from Inuyasha, she let loose with every thought that had been bothering her since she'd realized he was following.

"Is my still being here a problem? Did you come to ask me to leave?" Tears were running down her cheeks but she didn't bother to brush them away. Let him see the pain that he was causing her through his actions. Let him be the one to feel bad for a change. She was tired of wondering and hurting and fighting so hard to be strong . . .

He stepped closer, his hair brushing her arm from the movement. Kagome gasped, inadvertently looking up into his eyes. What she saw stopped all the thoughts in her head and stalled the breath in her throat. By the time he opened his mouth to speak, she felt more like a statue than a living, breathing person.

One question. That was all that he asked and all that it took to make Kagome's heart jump in her chest. Her answer had begun a pattern that lasted through the next weeks. Every morning she would catch small glimpses of him following her as she made her deliveries. When she was finished, they would meet at the same place for a few moments. That first conversation was the one and only time they discussed things with brutal honesty, but it had been enough. The relationship that had started with such bad omens began to change into something else. They were no longer people with secrets from each other, but survivors reaching out for the one person who knew exactly who they were and what they wanted.

With the feelings that had already existed finally allowed to be embraced, it was no surprise that they'd wasted no time in righting the wrong that Kikyo's plot had set into motion. The wedding had been small, just family and close friends, but it was the most perfect day that Kagome knew she would ever have. Standing in the church with Inuyasha was a memory that she would always hold close to her heart. The pain of everything that it had taken to get to that point only made the final reward that much sweeter.

The others were in view now, Kohaku and Shippo running ahead of Miroku and Sango as they drew closer to the waiting couple. In the last moment of privacy that they would have before being bombarded with company, Inuyasha shifted his head to rest on her shoulder.

"Do you regret me?" he asked in her ear, his voice little more than a whisper. The words were an echo of the past in more ways than one, not only the words they'd parted on but also the ones that had brought them back together. She remembered what he had looked like standing before her that day in the forest, defensive and vulnerable at the same time. But it was his eyes that had said the most, drawing her into their golden depths with the hints of hope and pleading

Snuggling deeper into his arms, Kagome answered him in the same way that she had that long ago day, the same way that she had every day since, and the same way that she always would. "I could never regret the best thing to ever happen to me."

**………**

**A/N:** And there you have it, the actual ending of "Another's Name But My Heart". I certainly hope you all like it better than the last ending, and that you've all enjoyed reading this fic. I want to take a moment to thank everyone that read and reviewed. Your comments meant a lot to me and were what kept me inspired a lot of times. Thanks for sticking with this for all 35 chapters and I hope you'll all come and take a look when I start my next Inuyasha fic. Until then, thanks for reading!

**Extra Author's Notes 12/29: **For the five people that have asked this for this chapter alone, I'm going to mention again that **Rin and Sesshomaru** moved to **their own fic**. It's called "**Field of Innocence**" and is currently at chapter 4, with a new chapter every two weeks. I mentioned this several times in several different sets of author's notes. I didn't forget about them; I just came up with a plot that was too big to work as a subplot for another story. If you want to know what happens to them, please check it out in that fic.


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